Lack Of Sleep Hinders Weight Loss
How to Get Better Sleep
Yes, you read that correctly. In my experience, and to my immense consternation, a lack of sleep does hinder one’s ability to lose weight. This has been a massive issue for me since my teens, and I have yet to get a solid grip on it. Between my brain that won’t seem to shut off, pre-menopausal hot flashes, back injuries, and my two dogs, I don’t seem to be able to clock even five good hours of quality sleep. An ample amount of rest is exceedingly imperative for anyone who wants to remain healthy. Let’s get straight to it.
Initiate the following things to acquire the most restful slumber:
1. Turn off all the noise makers in the house. There is nothing more annoying than dozing off, only to be jerked awake by some sound that did not need to be made.
2. Go to bed at the same time every night. Your body has a clock, and can learn when it is time for sleep. 10:00 p.m. is said to be the bedtime that will produce the optimum sleep experience; 10 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. being the timeframe when people receive the best REM, (Rapid Eye Movement, aka dream sleep, or stage 3-4 sleep).
3. Acquire a quality bed and pillows. Not everyone can afford the most expensive beds, but it is possible to find one that will be both conducive to the best sleep possible, as well as easy on the pocketbook.
4. Put down all tech devices. Pick up a book or magazine instead. The blue light from your tech devices can hinder sleep. On most smart phones you can now turn off the blue light.
5. Knock the boots before bed. Yep, I said it. I’m talking to all you wives and husbands out there. Making love is one activity that can produce a spectacular night’s rest.
6. Dress in comfortable sleepwear. Have you ever gotten tangled up in your pajamas while tossing around at night? Choose sleepwear that is comfortable, so that you will be unencumbered—or sleep naked if you must. (This may also help facilitate number 5, y’all! Just sayin’).
7. Talk to all other members of the household. Help your family members come to an understanding about the importance of your sleep (as well as theirs).
8. Get sunlight during the daytime. Some studies have shown an improvement in sleep with the increase in exposure to sunlight.
9. Keep your bedroom nice and cool. A nice cool environment is proven to be the most favorable for sleep.
10. Avoid engaging in anything unpleasant just before bed. Haven’t we all watched a horror movie, read an upsetting story, or gotten into an argument with a loved one, and then tried in vain to get to sleep?
11. Take an evening walk. It doesn’t take a hardcore workout; just something light.
12. Prepare your environment for sleep. Dim the lights; get into your pajamas; sit and pray or read; turn on some white noise, such as a fan; drink hot tea; listen to tranquil music, etc.
13. Don’t eat too late. Have your last meal about four hours before bed. If you must eat something, make it something light, and without carbs.
14. Take a hot bath or shower. This has helped me on many occasions—particularly after a stressful day.
15. Do not keep a television in your bedroom. The bedroom should be used for two things only; one of those things is sleep; the other is boot knockin’.
16. Take a few deep, slow breaths. I do not know why this works for relaxation, but it does.
17. Avoid alcohol. Although it may initially exhilarate you, it is likely to interfere with your sleep later on.
18. Take Magnesium or L-Tryptophan. This may help to enhance the quality of your sleep. Melatonin works as well, but I don’t advise it; some studies have found that taking melatonin for long periods causes one’s body to cease producing its own melatonin.
19. Live a keto, ketovore, or carnivore lifestyle! When our bodies are working properly because we have less health issues, there are less ailments to wake us up in the middle of the night.
20. Use a CPAP Machine (if you need one). This one may be important for some of you: Many people are unaware that they are having problems sleeping because they aren’t receiving enough oxygen while they sleep. Snoring is an indicator that you may have sleep apnea, and require a CPAP machine to sleep with. If this is, indeed, the problem, it should be taken very seriously. People die all the time in their sleep because of a lack of oxygen. Get a sleep test done if you think you could have sleep apnea.
A Matter of Life and Death
Sometimes folks need a good reason why they need to do something, so I will briefly tell you my story. My mother—before she passed away—had severe insomnia, and would go entire nights without sleep. Because she was often awake in the middle of the night, one day she chanced a glance over at my dad, whom she noticed wasn’t breathing. She continued to watch him to see if he would start breathing again. He did begin to breathe again, but the length of the pause between breaths greatly concerned her.
She began to watch him closer and discovered that he was constantly pausing for long periods of time between breaths while he slept. My mom decided to time the pauses and found that they were lasting a full minute and a half!
Upon informing my father of the situation once he was awake, the two of them decided that he should have a sleep test done. He did so shortly after, and doctors diagnosed him with severe sleep apnea, and prescribed him a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.
After finding out about my dad’s health situation, my parents—who were aware of the sleep problems that I, myself, had been suffering—urged me to get a sleep test done as well. I did so, and doctors diagnosed me with mild sleep apnea and severe sleep fragmentation, which basically means that although the pauses in my sleep weren’t as severe as my dad’s, I would wake up about seventeen times per hour on average.
The doctors then explained the seriousness of my condition, and enlightened me as to how long it takes a person to reach REM sleep—or stage three and four of sleep—and that I wasn’t staying asleep for long enough periods of time to attain these imperative stages of rest.
I was prescribed a CPAP machine and a low dose of Ambien and sent on my way. I tried on and off for about six months to sleep with the CPAP machine, but to my great dismay, it would cause me mild panic attacks to wake up and find the contraption strapped to my face, and I was loath to put it back on.
Feeling a bit like the alien in the movie ‘Predator,’ I eventually stopped trying to wear the cumbersome contraption, and just endured sleep apnea and sleep fragmentation the best I could.
Years went by, and I continued to have dreams of drowning—it never having occurred to me that I was having dreams of drowning because I was struggling for air in my sleep.
One day, at a family function, my older brother informed me that he had sleep apnea and slept with a CPAP machine. I confessed that I had gotten rid of mine, and told him my predicament. He then proceeded to educate me on the dangers of having sleep apnea and not using a CPAP.
He told me the importance of having enough oxygen in your blood, and informed me that people with sleep apnea do not have enough oxygen in their blood, and thus, are at a staggeringly much higher risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure.
I also did my own research and learned that tens of thousands of people die of sleep apnea every year—and that’s just in the United States! I read that these risks decrease astronomically when a CPAP machine is used.
Understanding dawned.
I now use my CPAP machine religiously. It is amazing how threats of death can move one to do something completely out of one’s comfort zone.
If you still think sleep is unimportant, (for all who are on a weight-loss journey) I recently learned that a lack of sleep can also greatly hinder one’s ability to lose weight!
Yeah, just in case the threats of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, et al, aren’t enough to scare you, the thought of unnecessary weight on one’s bottom should do the trick.
How much rest you get (and oxygen) is a life and death issue—take it seriously. God bless all of you on your journey to health and wholeness. Don’t just live but thrive.
~Spring Dalton
Disclaimer: The information in this newsletter does not substitute or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always consult with a physician or health-care professional if you ever have concerns or questions about your health. The use of any information found in this newsletter or any of the content within Ketovore with Spring is solely at your own risk.
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