Weightloss and Healthy Sleep Patterns

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HannaSavannah
HannaSavannah Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've heard that healthy sleep patterns can contribute to weightloss as well as general health. For the past few weeks I have been waking up later and later in the day. Today I awoke at 12:30 pm. And I felt totally disguisted by it. Does anybody have any suggestions to help me wake up earlier gradually over the next week or so? I'd like to get up as early as 6:30 or 7:00 so I can get early walks in. Thanks!

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  • adjones_21
    adjones_21 Posts: 234 Member
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    As they always say....get atleast 8 hours sleep a night. I can tell your first had that morning work outs make you feel better and give you more energy to make it through the day. Try getting in bed a little earlier every night so you can get up earlier and work out. It may take a week or so before you get use to it.
  • Jamie_here
    Jamie_here Posts: 9
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    If I don't get enough sleep, I see that I am holding on to water weight, etc. sleep is important, but too much sleep isn't good either. Sigh, what are we to do?? lol
  • CallMeMamaBoo
    CallMeMamaBoo Posts: 295
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    Well...I was a habitual over sleeper for the past couple of years and then I had a sleep study done and found out that I had mild sleep apnea which wasn't allow me to get 'good' sleep. After I lost my first 10 lbs, I started noticing that I was waking up earlier and staying up instead of going back to bed like I would have normally. The best thing to do is just set an alarm and get yourself up and don't even think about it. Get on your walking clothes and shoes and go....after you get your body moving you'll start feel energized. When I noticed myself starting to naturally wake up earlier, I set my alarm, jumped up barely awake, tossed on my shoes and rode my bike until I couldn't ride no more. I couldn't believe the energy it gave me through out the day. I was certain that I would need to nap or go to bed early but the exact opposite happened. I now do an extra workout about an hour before bed to help me wind down and get a deeper sleep. I hope my experience helps you in some way. I DO NOT miss sleeping til noon and there are days when I sleep til 9 and just feel off all day. G'luck to you
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    It sort of depends on when you get to sleep. If you are getting to sleep fairly early and sleeping really late so it is over 8 hours of sleep, then you need to cut back on the sleep. I would suggest doing it cold turkey, so to speak. Pick a bed time and a wake time. Make sure you are in bed and actually trying to sleep (not reading book or whatever else you do in bed) by your bed time and set the alarm for your wake up time (maybe across the room so you have to get up to turn it off). You may be tired the first few days, but your body will probably adapt to that sleep wake cycle faster that way than gradually working toward it.

    Oh, part of the reason sleep it so important is that it is during your sleep hours that your body produced Growth Hormone which is vital for muscle building, and hence for fat loss.
  • lbritt5
    lbritt5 Posts: 23 Member
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    I have read reports that say stress and lack of sleep contribute to weight gain and retension.

    I also struggle with getting up early but I found that if you go to bed earlier it is easier to get up in the morning. I also found that when you work out with a partner in the morning. The knowledge of knowing someone is waiting on me forced me to get up early.
  • HannaSavannah
    HannaSavannah Posts: 38 Member
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    Thanks everybody, I'm definitely going to try setting an alarm and having everything ready to get up and go, it's just hard because I go to bed before midnight for the most part. I'm just a heavy sleeper. I might set two alarms for back up.
  • nmoreland
    nmoreland Posts: 183 Member
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    I have my dogs as a natural alarm clock for the weekends, and that actually helps get me up because they are ready to play. :smile:

    Something else to think about is what your schedule is during the week, and how much you change it on the weekends.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I haven't had 8 hours sleep in one go since I first got pregnant with my oldest son, 6 1/2 years ago. I do find a water retain when I don't get enough sleep, but I never get enough really. 6 hours a night would be a really good night for me, but even that isn't straight. One of the children always wakes me up at some point.

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