How Sleep Boosts Your Metabolism

Imagine revving up your metabolism by getting more rest! Yep, that’s right! The more sleep you get at night, the more efficiently your metabolism will work every day! That is How Sleep Boosts Your Metabolism.

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The connection between your sleep habits and your metabolism

Your circadian rhythm, also known as your biological rhythm or internal clock, is linked to many vital, primary physiological functions, including the regulation of metabolism. It is essentially a “time-tracking” mechanism in your body and, when it is disrupted, poor health in a range of processes can arise, including a sluggish metabolism.

Your internal clock developed over many generations to align your physiology with your environment, which entailed sleeping at night and being awake during daylight hours; you know, all that hunting and gathering stuff we used to do.

If you deprive yourself of adequate sleep, you are essentially disrupting your biological processes, including your metabolism. Additionally, lack of sleep has been shown to affect the hormones that are linked to appetite and eating habits. When you are sleep deprived, your body increases the levels of Ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger and cravings. At the same time, it decreases the level of Leptin, the hormone that tells your brain that your hunger is satisfied. This results in increased hunger pangs and cravings, decreased satiety, and a sluggish metabolism. Being sleep deprived also stresses the body, which increases the hormone Cortisol, linked to weight gain.

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But, how do you get adequate sleep in our 24/7 culture?

Before I adjusted my lifestyle to include adequate sleep, I experienced that stubborn weight that just wanted to cling to my waist, butt, and thighs – no matter what! My sluggish metabolism was causing me to go through my day feeling fatigued and lethargic. The lack of energy caused intense sugar and caffeine cravings too, as my body was seeking a quick energy source to get through the day. I found myself on a blood sugar roller coaster that affected my weight, my mood, my work, and my sleep!

It was a vicious cycle that seemed impossible to break.

The thing is, getting a good night’s sleep is not something that just happens. It’s really hard to sleep well when, as a culture, we eat really late dinners, we’re up late working, answering e-mails, surfing the net, and then we hop right into bed. Some of us watch the late night news, with images of war and destruction, and stories of disaster, pain and suffering in the world. This makes it hard to calm down and go to sleep.

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What happens when you are sleep deprived?

Sleep deprivation is so detrimental to your health because it doesn’t just impact one aspect of your health – it impacts many.

Other risks to your health and well-being include:

• Mental focus and decision making suffers. When you are sleep deprived, you will have trouble retaining and processing information, making decisions, and think clearly. This can greatly affect your work or home responsibilities.
• Emotions are heightened. When your emotions are kicked into high gear, arguments with co-workers or your spouse are more likely. Also, heightened emotions can throw your perception off, making it likely to blow occurrences or disagreements out of proportion.
• Reaction time slows. When you are sleep deprived you are more accident prone, and activities like driving become risky.

Getting adequate sleep not only enhances your metabolism and energy, it also greatly enhances your overall sense of well-being and mental clarity. My clients report that their work and personal relationships are much more satisfying when they learn how to sleep well. Plus, they are able to work more efficiently, opening up more time for their family and friends.

Click here to Schedule your FREE 30-Minute Energy and Metabolism Discovery Session! Together we will create a personalized plan to help you increase your energy and ignite your metabolism.