Sleep

I don't "track" quality necessarily but I use my Fitbit Flex to see how long I slept and how restless I may be and my CPAP stores it somewhere. I do know that my average sleep during the week is NOT enough. Due to my own fault I normally average 4 hours during the week. I know my weight suffers for this because when I get 6 or more on the weekend I will lose weight. I think that it has to do with how your body processes work over time. I have gotten up after 4 hours of sleep (for various reasons) and weighed myself before laying back down. After sleeping another hour or two and getting up for the day I have weighed myself again and found that I will weigh less, sometimes as much as 2 lbs. My very non-scientific conclusion - better sleep and more of it equals a thinner, healthier me.

I don't keep a written record of my sleep, but I tend to go to bed about the same time and get up the same time most days. I know when I dont sleep well, I feel it the next day. I agree, it is at least as important as diet and exercise.

There has been a lot of research that supports the fact that people with regular sleep cycles lose more weight on average than people who do not. Whether it's due to sluggishness or the fact that sleep is a time for body repair, restoration of energy stores in the muscles, and low-stress waste filtering, I know it's important. It's also been shown that people who sleep little struggle more with controlling addictions and of course are more prone to drinking caffeine and eating to stay awake. When caffeine and other stimulants have an inflammatory effect on the body, and lack of sleep does as well, it would seem to me that you're doing yourself a disservice to not make a point to get regular sleep.

As for tracking it, I do for the most part. I have a BodyMedia Fit, and it monitors how much I move during the night and how long I'm laying down/sleeping during the day. Considering the average REM cycle of 1.5 hours, it's pretty on point with it's tracking, showing mild movement every 1.5-2 hours throughout the night... And it's also shown me that I do probably sleepwalk still, due to track steps and sometimes even extra calorie burns.

Without sleep, your body is more and more likely to be in a constant state of disrepair... I don't know why people would force themselves not to. Granted, I am an insomniac for stints of time, and realize that not everyone has the ability to sleep effectively, but I do try to make sure that if I can't sleep a full night, I get at least a REM cycle or two for the sake of my brain

I can, with all certainty, expect to get nailed in the head repeatedly with good, clean shots from my opponent in kick boxing if I go to class sleep-deprived. I'm entirely freaking useless at home, work and with my hobbies too. I maybe get 1/2 of what I need to get done, done.
I need my sleep! (7-8 hours).

How much I sleep has no effect on my weight loss. And frankly it doesn't make any sense that it would for anyone. I don't believe it.
I get as little as 4 hours of sleep some times on workdays and as much as 10 on weekends when I have nothing to do.

Sure, if you don't get enough sleep you will feel tired and sluggish but there's no reason to say it's "just important as diet and exercise" if you're trying to lose weight.

Actually leptin and ghrelin are two different hormones that are used to regulate appetite. Studies have shown that if you do not get adequate sleep, these hormones are thrown off and it triggers your appetite and messes up the signals. I know when I'm WAY too tired I definitely want to eat more. It can certainly impact appetite which CAN affect weight loss. Doesn't have to, but it can.

additionally, sleep and sleep quality affects cortisol levels dramatically due to stress, and cortisol levels are definitely a factor in weight retention.

I have never slept well. Quite honestly I was EXPECTING that losing almost 80 lbs would improve my sleep quality - it didn't. I also sleep @ 4 hours per night (last night it was 3). I have tried sleeping earlier, later, fed, not fed, having just eaten, having not eaten, with coffee/tea and without. Frankly NOTHING I have ever done has improved my sleep quality. I have a fitbit which I also use to track. I wake up at least 10 - 12 times every night.

So MAYBE I could have lost more weight faster IF I was actually able to sleep... but not sleeping hasn't made a darn bit of difference in my case. Maybe it's because I'm just used to not sleeping.. who knows.

I have never slept well. Quite honestly I was EXPECTING that losing almost 80 lbs would improve my sleep quality - it didn't. I also sleep @ 4 hours per night (last night it was 3). I have tried sleeping earlier, later, fed, not fed, having just eaten, having not eaten, with coffee/tea and without. Frankly NOTHING I have ever done has improved my sleep quality. I have a fitbit which I also use to track. I wake up at least 10 - 12 times every night.

So MAYBE I could have lost more weight faster IF I was actually able to sleep... but not sleeping hasn't made a darn bit of difference in my case. Maybe it's because I'm just used to not sleeping.. who knows.

I feel your pain. I've had difficulty falling asleep for the past 15 years or so, now with the onset of perimenopause I have difficulty staying asleep once I get there. My fitbit says I'm waking 10 to 12 times also. I can see why sleep deprivation is a torture technique.

I have room-darkening shades, white noise, pink noise, don't consume caffeine or alcohol, seldom watch TV, stick to a fairly rigid sleep routine with wind-down time before bed -- I've implemented all the "sleep hygiene" tips but nothing has made one iota of difference.

The quality of my sleep is fine (I've never had anyone comment about my breathing during sleep), it's just getting enough of it that's the problem.

I use a Jawbone UP to track the quantity and the quality of my sleep. I have been tracking it since December 2013. It has been really interesting.

It used to be that I would need at least 7 hours of sleep. In those 7 hours, I would get about 3 hours of deep sleep. When I'm physically active, I can't sleep much more than 6 hours. When I check my quality of sleep, I'm getting 3.5-4 hours of deep sleep and feel much better.

I don't track sleep, but I can tell you that I don't get much sleep at all. A really good night of sleep for me is 6 hours. I often get 5 or less. I don't have trouble falling asleep but I often wake up (not due to snoring or apnea or whatever). I think it is somehow a genetic thing as my mom had the problem, my brother has it, and my niece has it. I am so used to it that I function very well most of the time. On an especially bad night though, what I do notice is that the next day, I'm often way hungrier than I normally would be and crave crappy food more and often give in more to those cravings.

I use a Jawbone UP to track the quantity and the quality of my sleep. I have been tracking it since December 2013. It has been really interesting.

It used to be that I would need at least 7 hours of sleep. In those 7 hours, I would get about 3 hours of deep sleep. When I'm physically active, I can't sleep much more than 6 hours. When I check my quality of sleep, I'm getting 3.5-4 hours of deep sleep and feel much better.

thats pretty cool, i had no idea things like this were available to the public without outrageous cost (although $160 is still a little pricey). definitely something to look into in the future