DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A STRANGE SLEEPING PATTERN?

hayleejay

My husband works night shift and I have a hard time sleeping when he isn't home so I end up sleeping from 6A.M to around 11A.M-12P.M. Will this effect my weightloss?

lydaugherty

If you read my previous topic, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/107694-count-the-calories-as-yesterday-or-today
I sleep odd hours as well. So far, I've still lost weight, still workout and most importantly eat my calories. So if it's prevented me from seeing any more weightloss, I don't know, but I still see some loss. Even body fat percent has gone down 3% for me.

kelika71

Nope...not if you follow your calories and exercise. My husband has an odd shift, as well. We get up around noon and have breakfast about 12:30. I do 5-6 meals a day about 2 1/2-3 hours apart. If you're honest with what you take in and put out, it does work.
But, I would suggest trying to get 7-8 hours of sleep. Sleep is important with losing weight.

Good luck!!

Tashry

I wouldn't think it would have a negative effect. I am sleeping odd hours thanks to my new baby, and I am losing weight.

ashley_h10

I wouldn't think it would have a negative effect. I am sleeping odd hours thanks to my new baby, and I am losing weight.

I just had a baby mid may and i was worried about not losing weight due to sleep deprivation! *whew* good to know that you are losing weight while getting random sleep

hayleejay

Its good to know a I'm not the only one sleeping weird and a relief that its not going to effect my weight loss. thanks everyone.

HealthyKt78

I'm normally up until 4 or 5 and I sleep until noon or 1. I just can't help it.

DeeJayTJ

i have a very VERY messed up schedule, sleep saturdays and sundays from 10am to 7pm then work from 8pm-8am. then monday morning i get out of work and sleep from 10am to 4pm, then sleep again from midnight to to 7am tuesday morning and sleep a normal night that night.

then wednesday sleep from 2:30am to 8am. and then sleep thursday night 3am to 9am friday morning and then friday afternoon from 12-7, and then work 8pm-8am.

with all that i still lost 30lbs in 3 or 4 months.

Sheilagh

I work a night shift and I have managed to lose some weight. Obviously, it is important to get adequate sleep for your body or you may end up sabotaging weight loss efforts. Some people eat a little more of the wrong foods or load up on ones that try to give you energy to reverse the feeling- like more carb- heavy foods, caffeine, etc.

dumb_blondes_rock

it doesn't matter what time you go to sleep, as long as you get 7 or 8 hours of sleep. Studies have shown that your body will have negative effects from not getting enough sleep from gaining weight all the way to high increase for heart disease. Sleep is not anything to mess around with, so no matter what time you do it, make sure you get your 7-8 hours. I remember hearing something on that from both the doctors(the show) and dr oz.

mallieh

I don't think WHEN you sleep is a problem, its HOW you sleep and for HOW LONG.

For example, I (being the 20 year old that I am) used to have strange sleep patterns. I would go to sleep one night at 3am and wake up the next day at 11am. The next night I would go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 6am to get ready for work. This habit continued, fueled by the thought, "hey since I got 8 hours of sleep, I'm good to go!"

Wrong.

I learned through my last visit to the doctor that I was doing this all wrong. Even though I was getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night, my shoddy attempt at a regular sleep pattern was putting more stress on my body, which then gave me these horrid stress headaches, fatigue, low motivation and a crappy attitude. She told me to create a "regular bedtime" (like I was 10 years old again) and to stick to it. Once I was on it for a few days, I would notice a change..

and I have!

i go to bed now between 10:30 - 11:30 at night each and every night, regardless of if I have to go to work or school the next morning (yes, that means even weekend nights if I can manage it). I then wake up each morning at around 8:30, but allow myself to drift in and out of sleep till about 9:30. Waking up slow is so relaxing, it allows myself to fully wake up and be ready for the day. In those minutes while laying in bed I start to mentally prepare myself for the day, and the attitude change I have felt is incredible. This sleep schedual has also helped me listen to my body, which has been trying to tell me it needs about nine hours to feel rested, not the usual eight.

So, even though your husband works different hours, if you are regularly going to sleep and waking up at the same time, your body will thank you. You will also have more stamina and energy to workout the next day, thus creating better weight loss results

Also, if your body tells you that you need more sleep (like if you wake up and already want to go back to sleep) give yourself and extra hour or if your body tells you that you need less sleep (if you wake up and your groggy and lethargic, even after getting eight hours) then just take off an hour (however it would be good to only go down to seven hours of sleep, although I have a few friends who operate just lovely on 5-6 hours of sleep each night on a regular sleep schedual.)


i'm sorry this is so long-winded, I hope it helps!

dumb_blondes_rock

I don't think WHEN you sleep is a problem, its HOW you sleep and for HOW LONG.

For example, I (being the 20 year old that I am) used to have strange sleep patterns. I would go to sleep one night at 3am and wake up the next day at 11am. The next night I would go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 6am to get ready for work. This habit continued, fueled by the thought, "hey since I got 8 hours of sleep, I'm good to go!"

Wrong.

I learned through my last visit to the doctor that I was doing this all wrong. Even though I was getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night, my shoddy attempt at a regular sleep pattern was putting more stress on my body, which then gave me these horrid stress headaches, fatigue, low motivation and a crappy attitude. She told me to create a "regular bedtime" (like I was 10 years old again) and to stick to it. Once I was on it for a few days, I would notice a change..

dang....i never really knew all that but it makes since. I don't think it matters what time you go to bed, as long as its consistant like you said....if you go to bed at 4 am , then jsut do 4 am ever day.
I used to be soooo bad,! I would go to bed at 3 or so, wake up at 8 30 tired as hell, go to work, come home at like 5 or so, take a 3 hours nap then be up ALLL NIGHT. It was like broken sleep. Then my face started breaking out, i could never feel awake, no matter how much coffee i drank, it was HORRIBLE.

MzBug

I can't remember ever getting 8 hours of sleep unless I was sick. Even when I was in my teens/twenties my usual was 6-7 hours (sometimes less). My boyfriend works swing shift so he doesn't go to bed until 3-4am and sleeps till noon or so. I go to bed between 2-3 and get up 8-9ish. Yes I wake up every night when he comes up to bed (drives him nuts). My body just feels slugish when I oversleep. I know I sleep better in a cool room, just don't feel rested when the room is above 70. Everyone is different, just have to listen to your body and see what it likes.

Good Luck!

BlueLikeJazz

During the week I work the overnight shift at a group home where I am allowed to sleep but don't usually go to bed until 1-2 AM then get up shortly after 6 AM to get ready to go home. After I get home I do homework for a few hours then usually sleep 2-3 hours in the afternoon so overall I get 7 hours a day. I haven't seen any negative effects with my weight loss. I also always loved to take naps but felt very guilty for taking them when I was getting enough sleep at night, but now my naps are justified lol.

dgroulx

I work overnights 9:45pm until 7:15am on Thursday through Wednesday for 7 days. The next 7 days, I don't work at that job and flip my days and nights around. Then for 3-4 days during my week off, I work from 10pm until midnight at another job from my computer at home. I am always slightly sleep deprived.

Sleep does matter for weight loss. Your body has natural cicadian rhythms that are thrown off by unusual sleep patterns. This puts more stress on the body and produces more cortisol which can lead to fat retention.

Here's a sleep anecdote from today. I got to bed around 12:30am. When my husband left for work at 6am, I weighed myself. I went back to bed and got up at 11am and weighed again. I was 2 pounds less. Your body make hormones, etc while you are sleeping. That's when you lose weight by sleeping.