Will better sleep help you avoid extra pounds?
WebMD Feature ArchiveCould lack of sleep be causing you to gain weight?
Think about it: If youre feeling sleepy at work, you may be tempted to reach for a cup of coffee (or several cups) and a doughnut for a quick shot of energy. Later you may skip the gym and pick up takeout on your way home to your family -- no time to cook. When you finally find yourself back in your bed, you are too wound up to sleep.
Can't Sleep? When to Get Out of Bed
You wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Whether you drank one cup of coffee too many earlier, or you've got a lot on your mind, it's time to decide whether to get up or stay in bed. Getting out of bed makes sense at some point. Tossing and turning endlessly isn't going to help. If you do get up, though, you're not giving up for the night. You still need rest. So your goal should be to get back to sleep as soon as possible. Some activities help with that. Others put...
Read the Can't Sleep? When to Get Out of Bed article > >
Its a vicious cycle, and eventually this sleep deprivation can sabotage your waistline and your health.
It starts out innocently enough. When you have sleep deprivation and are running on low energy, you automatically go for a bag of potato chips or other comfort foods, saysSusan Zafarlotfi, PhD, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep and Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
The immediate result? You may be able to fight off sleepiness. The ultimate result? Unwanted pounds as poor food choices coupled with lack of exercise set the stage for obesity and further sleep loss.
Sleep debt is like credit card debt, Zafarlotfi says. If you keep accumulating credit card debt, you will pay high interest rates or your account will be shut down until you pay it all off. If you accumulate too much sleep debt, your body will crash.
Not getting enough sleep is common -- even talked about with pride -- in the U.S. We brag about an all-nighter, but we do pay a price for staying up late and getting up early, says Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Hennepin County.
Understanding the Sleep-Diet Connection
The sleep-diet connection is regular fodder for diet books and magazine articles. Maybe you have even heard about the sleep diet, which suggests you can lose weight while you catch your ZZZs.
And its true, sort of.
Its not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly, explains Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleepand the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.
WebMD Feature Archive. Q: I cant seem to stop eating! I keep gaining weight. What can I do? A: Plenty of people can match you forkful for forkful.
Healthy Ways to Gain Weight - WebMD - Better information ...
WebMD Feature Archive. For the majority of Americans, "envious" is the word that comes to mind for anyone who needs to gain weight. Most people are on the other end
Muscle mass and weight gain - WebMD Answers
Why should I sign up for WebMD? With a WebMD Account you can: Track your way to weight loss success; Manage your family's vaccinations; Join the conversation
Weight gain: Common Related Symptoms and Medical Conditions
WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common symptom combinations and medical conditions related to Weight gain.
Weight gain: Common Related Symptoms and Medical Conditions
WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common symptom combinations and medical conditions related to Weight gain.
how to gain weight - WebMD Answers
WebMD experts and contributors provide answers to: how to gain weight
Weight Gain in Dogs: Why Is My Dog Gaining Weight?
Learn more from WebMD about weight gain in dogs - what it could mean and when to call the vet.
Pregnancy Weight Gain - WebMD Second Opinion
Inside Health News Thursday, May 28, 2009 Pregnancy Weight Gain. By Miranda Hitti. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) today issued new guidelines on how much weight to
Weight Gain in Dogs: Why Is My Dog Gaining Weight?
Weight Gain in Dogs: Common Causes and Treatments. About one out of every three dogs in the U.S. may be overweight or obese. Being heavy puts our pets at higher risk
WEIGHT GAIN SHOCKERS - WebMD Boots
See the possible causes of sudden weight gain, when there are no changes in diet or exercise. Learn about the effects of certain medications, some medical conditions