Sleep Well to Slim Down

Posted by Simple Promise on

Sleep Well to Slim Down

I used to be tired all the time. It seemed like the older I got, the more tired I was. As it turns out, a lot of my girlfriends were struggling with this too. When we’d get together, we’d talk about our sleep struggles, like:

  • Taking forever to fall asleep...
  • Not staying asleep as long as I used to...
  • And, tossing and turning all night...

All this led to several days of full-on sleep deprivation. But a few months ago I had had enough! I refused to accept that it's “just the way it is”... and I began to do my own research. I was surprised by what I found:

Poor sleep is linked to weight gain.

In fact, people who get less sleep tend to weigh significantly more than those who get enough sleep.

How Less Sleep Leads To More Weight

First, sleep deprivation lowers your natural energy stores, as well as the desire to exercise. Put simply, you simply don’t feel like doing anything. And the less active you are, the lower your metabolism tends to be.

Second, lack of sleep is shown to increase muscle loss. This is a double whammy since more muscle burns more fat. So it’s critical that you get enough good, quality sleep to help your body repair, and slim down your waistline. But sometimes it can be so hard to get enough sleep. Especially for women…

It’s Worse For Women

At every stage of life, we simply sleep worse! This was in a study1 from Yale! As it turns out, in times of hormonal change (like during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause), women are at more and more risk of sleep disorders like:

  • Sleep apnea
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • And, even insomnia2

So I started experimenting with how I slept, and I’ve discovered three tips that work really well. What’s more—everyone can use them tonight to get longer, deeper and more restful sleep... Which ALSO means less stubborn fat!

Tip #1: Kick Him To The Curb… Sleep With The Dog

Here’s something I thought was crazy (and silly): Some scientists wanted to see if having a dog in bed helps with getting better sleep3. I mean, what will they think of next? Anyway, almost a thousand women did this experiment. AND – lo and behold, they actually slept better with their dog instead of their partner! Finally... an excuse to send him to the doghouse!

Not only did women report sleeping better, sleeping with a dog in bed made them feel more comfortable and secure. Makes sense... dogs are typically really good about alerting their owners about intruders or other emergencies. What’s more, the study also discovered having a dog in bed helps with circadian rhythm modulation45 On the whole, dog owners had earlier bedtimes and wake-up times than women with cats. So, if you’re a dog-mama, give that a whirl!

Here’s another sleep tip...

Tip #2: Listen To “Pink Noise”

Now—everyone’s heard of using white noise to sleep better. But, have you ever heard of “pink noise”? This is cool. It may be “White Noise 2.0”.

With "pink noise"... one study6 found people slept longer and deeper! And in another (a Northwestern University study7), they discovered that “sleep-dependent memory” improved for people who slept with pink noise nearby. So what is pink noise? Well, this is going to sound a little nerdy but, pink noise is like white noise, but the low frequency (or bass) is louder, while the high frequency is softer.

Put another way, white noise sounds like TV static. Like when it’s not set on a channel. Pink noise, however, sounds like a steady rainfall. That’s why it’s considered to be more soothing than white noise. But it gets better!

These studies have shown that people sleeping with pink noise did three times better on memory tests8. Pretty cool right? Better sleep, and better memory. Now, as nifty as those tricks are, they really are just treating the symptoms. There's actually a deeper reason why our bodies aren’t going through normal sleep cycles. It has nothing to do with age. It's actually something every modern woman is dealing with, and anyone can fix. Here it is...

Tip #3: The REAL Reason Why We Can't Sleep

Most people don’t know that pollution is linked to 40% of deaths9. That sounds crazy, doesn't it? But a team at Cornell University says otherwise. After all, research now shows...

  • Over 3,000 chemicals are added to our food supply10...
  • They found 315 contaminants in U.S. tap water11...
  • We may, right now, have 400–800 chemicals in our fat cells12...

In other words, toxins may be to blame for our lack of quality sleep! How? Well, over time these toxins can break down healthy cells. Or worse, turn abnormal and multiply. This is how some people may get “problem sleepiness”13.

So what can we do about it? Well a recent study suggests antioxidants may help us fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer14. Why? Well, antioxidants fight off toxins and maintain healthy cells! And what scientists call the master antioxidant actually neutralizes toxins in our bodies15. As one can guess, once these toxins are removed, sleep gets better naturally. Crazy thing is, most people don’t know about this master antioxidant. Not even most doctors!

This antioxidant was actually discovered on a remote island. And as it turns out, the people who live on this island sleep better and have less health issues. What’s more, they live longer.16 17

Discover more about this master antioxidant.

References


BellyFlush

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