The amount of sleep you get will directly affect how healthy you are and how successful you will be at losing weight. The average person needs approximately 8-9 hours of sleep but the exact amount will vary from person to person.
It is important to understand that even slight sleep deprivation will weaken your body's immune system, affect your memory, physical performance and even cause your body to put on weight. It is therefore imperative to get the right amount of sleep and to get quality sleep.
My problem was that I struggled to sleep in the first place and also the quality of sleep that I was getting wasn't great. In turn this left me tired during the day, de-motivated and no doubt had a part to play in the fact that I was so unhealthy and over weight. Fortunately I was able to fix my sleep problem and here are some tips so that you can too:
1. Make sure you have a good quality mattress. This will ensure that you are comfortable and it will prevent restless sleep, you know, the sort where you spend the entire night tossing and turning and by the time your alarm goes off you feel like you haven't even slept a wink.
2. Avoid over eating before bed and give yourself some time between dinner and bedtime. If you go to bed bloated or straight after eating you will not get a good nights sleep. Your quality of sleep will drastically improve by giving yourself some time after your final meal of the day. I normally ensure that I eat my dinner at least 1.5 hours before going to bed.
3. Sleeping position. Do not sleep on your front or flat on your back. The best way to sleep is on your side (either side). I found that sleeping on either side resulted in better quality of sleep. Furthermore, if I had indigestion or a stomach ache I found that for some reason sleeping on my left side provided relief. Give it a try the next time your stomach isn't feeling great.
4. Have a hot or cold shower before bed. The temperature change in your body will help you sleep. If you have more time to spare then take a nice warm bath and again this will help you relax and sleep.
5. Design an evening routine and make it a habit. For example, read before bed or listen to some relaxing music. I spend ten minutes stretching and doing some deep breathing before I go to bed. Most people go to bed with far too much on their mind, either thinking about things that happened during the day or things that they need to do the following day. This prevents you from relaxing and going to sleep. A relaxing routine before you go to bed will help calm your mind.
6. Turn off the electronics when it is bedtime. Do not sit at your computer or play with your phone just before you go to bed. If it is time to sleep then sleep is the only thing that you should be thinking about. Turn off all your electronics, don't let them get in the way of you relaxing and preparing for bed.
Give these little changes a go and I am sure you will find that you are able to fall asleep quicker and able to get better quality of sleep.
I have struggled with my weight for years however with some smart changes I was able to transform my body and my overall health. Visit my blog for more smart yet simple changes that will help you lose weight and improve your health: http://www.smarthealthandweightloss.com/
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