does sleep help lose weight?

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soulynyc
soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How many hours of sleep do you get? i'm getting around 4 1/2 before i have to wake up at dawn.. then i am awake for 1 hour and go back to bed for about 2 hours. So im getting a total of aruond 6/12 hours of sleep. I am going to bed around midnight to 1am. what time do you get to bed? do you find it helpful in weight loss?

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  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    on work days I go to bed around 2-3pm. I average 6-8 hrs. non-broken up sleep. yes it does. I notice I'll drop weight too.
  • moepwr
    moepwr Posts: 349 Member
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    I was wondering about this too. I am up twice or more a night with kids. I haven't slept in about a year.
  • chubbster17
    chubbster17 Posts: 31
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    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120417080350.htm Lack of sleep can contribute to obesity. :frown:
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    I usually sleep 8 hours. I love my sleep!
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
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    Sleep is super important to weight loss! It's hard to come by, but if you can take a week or too and make yourself go to bed a bit earlier--give yourself 7-8hrs MINIMUM... I would suggest taking Melatonin though to help you sleep better. Melatonin is a natural chemical your body produces when you're tired to help you sleep, but they offer a vitamin supplement to help aid sleep. You won't have any drawbacks like you would from taking NyQuil or something similar since it's a chemical your body already produces. I've been taking melatonin for a few years now, especially since I've been going to school full-time on top of working graveyard shifts. Start out with 3mg just before bed (6mg tops) until your body adjusts. :flowerforyou: You can buy the vitamins at any major grocery store or pharmacy and you don't need a perscription and its relatively cheap (maybe $6-$8 for 100-day supply) so if you find it doesn't help you won't be out much... Good luck!
  • kirstand
    kirstand Posts: 76
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    the way i see it...the longer the time you are asleep, the less you are going to be able to eat if you were still awake.
    wish i could practice what i preach though, lol!...i'm a night owl, and struggle with the odd late/mid-night snack or two!
  • JanetLM73
    JanetLM73 Posts: 1,277 Member
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    It's strange because before I joined here and started working out I slept 7-8 hours a night, now that I'm working out 6 sometimes 7 days a week, I'm lucky if I get 4 or 5 per night, and I'm losing weight every week.
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
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    i don't have problems going to sleep. i have problems getting to bed LOL. i want to chat or do stuff around the house late cause the kids are in bed and i have "Me" time. but i think i need more sleep. i notice that when i get extra sleep i tend to lose more.for instance i may wake up at 5am weigh myself.. get back to bed at 5:30 or 6am.. wake at 9am and weigh myself again and im down at least .6 or more sometimes.
  • Dozrzz
    Dozrzz Posts: 245
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    I feel better when I get at least 6 hours sleep. I don't know how much difference it makes in my weight loss but I do know that if I do not get enough sleep then I am cranky and then I don't want to workout, or eat right, or anything. I just a bowl of mac n cheese and a nap! hahahaha
  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
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    I'm sure it does and there are numerous studies out there that a proper nights sleep can lead to lower weight.

    I wish I could get a full nights sleep most nights. I work shifts between days and afternoons so it's tough to have a normal sleep schedule... add in random days off during the week along with everything that needs to be done at home and it's tough.

    Get what you can. Try to get more... could be difficult since you may have to give up something you'd usually be doing in favour of getting to bed earlier.
  • stickwithme
    stickwithme Posts: 46 Member
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    I'm like you and I have trouble GOING to bed. In fact I should be doing that right now!
    Unfortunately it gets to be quite a problem, because I end up getting very little sleep for weeks on end, sometimes as little as 3 or 4 hours a night and this affects my life in all sorts of ways. I find that I generally have less control of myself, my emotions and... my eating habits! In fact I think a good share of the problems I've had with food are down to not getting enough sleep. It's as though I'm trying to make up for lack of energy by trying to get it from food, but of course it doesn't work like that.

    So yes, although what I'm saying isn't scientific, I would say that getting enough sleep helps you lose weight, if for no other reason than that it might stop you putting extra on!

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