The Sleep Diet - Sleep More, Lose Weight!
Last year, doctors Michael Breus, Ph.D., and Steven Lamm, M.D., challenged Glamour magazine by saying they could take some of their readers and help them lose weight without making significant changes to their normal diets and exercise routines. The doctors believed that by simply making sure that each of the women slept at least seven and a half hours a night and by altering a few of their sleeping routines, the woman would lose weight. Always up for the challenge, the folks at Glamour took the doctors up on their idea and asked six of their female readers, all of different shapes and sizes, to go on what the doctors call The Sleep Diet.
Before we tell you what happened to the women who went on the controversial diet, here’s the scientific rationale for why the doctors believed it would work:
The Science:
First of all, when your body reaches the deeper levels of sleep, it releases a growth hormone which tells your body how to break down fat for fuel. When you deprive your body of deep sleep, extra calories get stored as fat because there isn’t enough growth hormone to break it down. So, when you deprive your body of sleep it takes a shortcut and packs the fat away in your butt, thighs, belly, wherever you tend to put on weight. If you are only sleeping six hours a night, you are missing a few very important REM sleep cycles in which these hormones are released. REM cycles occur more often during the final hours of your sleep so by not getting a full seven and a half hours, you are missing out on the best part of the night! Also, when you deprive your body of sleep, your body releases more ghrelin, the hormone that tells you you’re hungry and less leptin, the hormone that tells you you’re full. This can lead to craving more fatty and sugary snacks throughout the next day.
The Sleep Diet:
Here’s the ten-week Sleep Diet that Michael Breus, Ph.D., and Steven Lamm, M.D., prescribed for the six brave Glamour readers:
- Get Plenty of Sleep Sounds easy, right? The doctors only mandated that the women in the challenge get seven and a half hours of sleep every night. But, this number isn’t the ideal amount of sleep for every person. You should get at least seven and half to lose weight and, for optimal results, some people should get up to nine. Start off at seven and a half and work your way up ‘til you feel the most rested.
- Go to Sleep at the Same Time Each Night Are you used to going to bed when you’re done watching David Letterman? Or, do you go to bed at a different time every night and always wake up at 7:30 am? Consistency is the key here. It may be difficult for people who work different shifts at work, but once you get into a consistent sleep/wake schedule your body will get into the routine as well.
- Watch What You Drink No coffee after 2:30 pm, period. Caffeine can stay in your system for a long time and, at night, make it more difficult for you to achieve the deep, restful sleep that will help you lose weight. The same goes for sodas and tea. Also, no alcohol for up to three hours before bedtime. Alcohol may make it easier for you to get to sleep, but it can prevent you from reaching the deeper, restorative sleep cycles.
The Results:
In the Glamour Sleep Diet challenge, six women ranging in age from 25 to 35 all went on the diet for ten weeks and their results were just as the doctors predicted. Between the six women, all lost weight and the average weight loss was over nine pounds, with one woman losing 15! Ready to lose weight? Try The Sleep Diet and if you’re like these six women, you’ll lose a few pounds and you’ll enjoy your waking hours much more!
Source: Glamour Magazine
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