The benefits of getting the right amount of sleep just keep growing! A recent study showed that people who changed their sleep schedule and made sure they got at least 7 hours of sleep took in 270 less calories per day. And over a 3-year time, that could lead to a weight loss of 26 pounds! Where do we sign up for the Skinny Sleep?
The CDC and the National Sleep Foundation recommend that we get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night for optimal health results. That is the amount of time needed for a full sleep cycle and allows enough time for each of the 5 stages of the sleep cycle to perform their essential jobs. There is not one stage of sleep that can fully restore the body and mind – so depriving yourself of any of them can cause harm! But up to 30% of adults in the US report that they sleep for less than 6 hours each night. That’s almost 1 in every 3 people not getting the sleep that the body desperately needs.
Studies have shown that when someone is sleep deprived, they are more likely to increase their calorie intake. Think back to those late-night shenanigans – whether it’s a late night out with the girls or an all-night binge session of your favorite show - they always seemed to involve lots of snacks and sometimes even another whole meal! When we don’t get enough sleep, the signals that tell us when we are hungry or full get mixed up and we end up eating more calories. There has been a growing amount of research that suggests adequate sleep helps people stick to a healthy diet.
The latest study involved 80 adults who were classified as overweight and reported that they regularly slept less than 6.5 hours a night. After observing their regular sleeping habits for two weeks, the group was broken down into a control group who continued their normal sleep habits and a test group who were provided sleep counseling and personal sleep hygiene plans to help this group add an extra hour of sleep to their schedule. The plans included things like no caffeine late in the day, going to bed earlier and putting away electronic devices before bedtime.
The results from the test group showed them getting, on average, an extra hour and twelve minutes of sleep per night. They also ended up eating an average of 270 fewer calories per day with some subjects recording up to 500 fewer calories. All while the control group’s intake increased by an average of 115 calories a day. Using strong dynamic prediction models, researchers predicted that if healthy sleep was continued, it could yield a 26-pound weight loss over 3 years. More research was recommended but it was a huge step in the importance of sleep on weight loss.
So Skinny Sleep, also known as Beauty Sleep, is the deep, regenerative sleep that helps your body repair itself. It’s during this sleep phase that the body releases growth hormones which aid in cell repair and healthy new cell growth in tissues and organs throughout the body including the skin. Also referred to as “nature’s blood pressure medicine,” it’s during deep sleep that the heart rate is at its lowest and most regular, providing important cardiovascular benefits. It is also during deep sleep that the brain’s waste removal system is activated and flushes out all the toxins that have built up during the day.
Having trouble getting your 7 to 9 hours of sleep? Add Glotrition’s Sleep Beauty Booster to your Beauty Wellness routine. It includes Melatonin and Chamomile to help with relaxation and sleep quality as well as Aloe Sterols for skin hydration, improvement in wrinkles, and skin elasticity. Like all Glotriton products, it also contains a combination of antioxidant rich fruit powders and vitamins C, D, and E for antioxidant protection and immunity enhancement.