Sleep In To Boost Your Metabolism?
This is one of the many paradoxes of life. Common sense would suggest that if we're awake and active then our metabolism is working more than if we're enjoying some good sleep.
However, as the experts tell us, getting adequate rest actually improves the metabolic process. People who are constantly running a sleep deficit usually find that they've got less power to do regular, daily activities, including basic needs like digestion.
As a result, sleep-deprived individuals often unknowingly lower their metabolism. Their bodies lack the ability to break down food efficiently, particularly carbohydrates, which are more likely to be stored as body fat.
This is an extremely challenging issue, because many individuals can only find time for exercise (which is also needed for good metabolism) by borrowing from their relaxation or sleep time.
For instance, in dealing with work and family commitments a person might discover that the only time they have to exercise (and thus boost their metabolism) is in the evening which might cause them to hit the sack at a later time. So what's one to do?
As it is in many circumstances, it's a matter of balance. Naturally, if you're willing to exercise, and your physician agrees that it is healthy for you to do that, then you are not going to get fit by simply sleeping.
Yet with that said, should you steal time away from your sleep to be able to exercise? If you do, over time you can actually do more harm than good. As is usually the case, the answer lies in having enough balance.
Keep a time diary for at least a week to see how you're spending your time. Don't assume you know how every minute is spent. Most people are surprised when they review their diaries how some of their time was spent.
When you evaluate how you're spending your time look at it in 15 minute blocks. If you can find two 15 minute blocks during the day that you can engage in some kind of activity (even a walk around the block) you will have the same equivalent health benefit as if you had engaged in a continuous 30 minute activity.
If you have ANY TV time (or recreational Internet time like Facebook, etc.) showing up in your diary then you can definitely convert that to either exercise or sleep time. Don't fool yourself, or justify watching the idiot tube, relaxing in front of the TV has very few benefits compared to other alternatives.
Sleep deprivation also has another unintended consequence that affects our metabolism. It causes us to depend on crutches like caffeine to keep us awake. Used long term caffeine not only causes the release of a fat storing hormone (cortisol) but also causes us to sleep less, which gets us back to the primary subject of this article.
Should you discover that you have trouble sleeping, then this can also negatively affect the speed of your metabolic process (because you will not have enough get up and go the following day). Insomnia, apnea and other sleep disorders are typical problems, and there are numerous support systems to help you get the rest you need.
Some non-medical tips to help you fall asleep include:
- No late night eating (this is a double whammy: bad for the metabolism and can keep you awake and make you sleep fitfully)
- Have a small glass of warm milk before bedtime
- Leave the TV off when you go to bed
- Try yoga or other stress-relieving activities
- Keeping a magazine or book by the bed and reading a few pages helps some people to get sleepier.
- Have a warm bath before bedtime
- Don't exercise or engage in anything strenuous close to bedtime. Your body can become so energized that it doesn't want to sleep
It's possible to get too much sleep and that can result in a slower metabolism but that's usually not the case for most people, especially Americans who seem to want to burn the candle at both ends.
Now, relax and lay there, it's OK to grab a few extra winks. Your metabolism will reward you for that.
(c) Copyright 2010 Visa Ventures Metabolic-Calculator.com
However, as the experts tell us, getting adequate rest actually improves the metabolic process. People who are constantly running a sleep deficit usually find that they've got less power to do regular, daily activities, including basic needs like digestion.
As a result, sleep-deprived individuals often unknowingly lower their metabolism. Their bodies lack the ability to break down food efficiently, particularly carbohydrates, which are more likely to be stored as body fat.
This is an extremely challenging issue, because many individuals can only find time for exercise (which is also needed for good metabolism) by borrowing from their relaxation or sleep time.
For instance, in dealing with work and family commitments a person might discover that the only time they have to exercise (and thus boost their metabolism) is in the evening which might cause them to hit the sack at a later time. So what's one to do?
As it is in many circumstances, it's a matter of balance. Naturally, if you're willing to exercise, and your physician agrees that it is healthy for you to do that, then you are not going to get fit by simply sleeping.
Yet with that said, should you steal time away from your sleep to be able to exercise? If you do, over time you can actually do more harm than good. As is usually the case, the answer lies in having enough balance.
Keep a time diary for at least a week to see how you're spending your time. Don't assume you know how every minute is spent. Most people are surprised when they review their diaries how some of their time was spent.
When you evaluate how you're spending your time look at it in 15 minute blocks. If you can find two 15 minute blocks during the day that you can engage in some kind of activity (even a walk around the block) you will have the same equivalent health benefit as if you had engaged in a continuous 30 minute activity.
If you have ANY TV time (or recreational Internet time like Facebook, etc.) showing up in your diary then you can definitely convert that to either exercise or sleep time. Don't fool yourself, or justify watching the idiot tube, relaxing in front of the TV has very few benefits compared to other alternatives.
Sleep deprivation also has another unintended consequence that affects our metabolism. It causes us to depend on crutches like caffeine to keep us awake. Used long term caffeine not only causes the release of a fat storing hormone (cortisol) but also causes us to sleep less, which gets us back to the primary subject of this article.
Should you discover that you have trouble sleeping, then this can also negatively affect the speed of your metabolic process (because you will not have enough get up and go the following day). Insomnia, apnea and other sleep disorders are typical problems, and there are numerous support systems to help you get the rest you need.
Some non-medical tips to help you fall asleep include:
- No late night eating (this is a double whammy: bad for the metabolism and can keep you awake and make you sleep fitfully)
- Have a small glass of warm milk before bedtime
- Leave the TV off when you go to bed
- Try yoga or other stress-relieving activities
- Keeping a magazine or book by the bed and reading a few pages helps some people to get sleepier.
- Have a warm bath before bedtime
- Don't exercise or engage in anything strenuous close to bedtime. Your body can become so energized that it doesn't want to sleep
It's possible to get too much sleep and that can result in a slower metabolism but that's usually not the case for most people, especially Americans who seem to want to burn the candle at both ends.
Now, relax and lay there, it's OK to grab a few extra winks. Your metabolism will reward you for that.
(c) Copyright 2010 Visa Ventures Metabolic-Calculator.com
