Written by Stephanie Hoffman Thursday, 24 July 2008 10:45
Q: Over the past few years, I've gained quite a bit of weight. Life got a lot busier, and I have less time to think about meal planning and to work in exercise. And of course, some of it is just about growing older. I'm unhappy about it for all kinds of reasons, but one thing that's especially hard on me is that as I've gained weight it seems to be harder and harder for me to sleep. Does this make sense? Could there be a connection between weight gain and sleep problems?
A: You are absolutely right- weight gain and sleep habits are closely related. Being overweight means you are more likely to suffer from insomnia, and sleep deprivation can aggravate weight gain. And if you find that you’re snoring or waking up repeatedly during the middle of the night, your weight may be causing or aggravation a serious sleep disorder called Sleep Apnea. Fortunately, your attentiveness to the relationship between your eating habits, your weight, and your sleep means that it will be easier to make changes in your lifestyle. The first step toward better sleep is improving your diet and exercise habits. It’s hard to find the time to cook and workout, so develop some strategies that will work with the demands of your busy life and not stress you out. You may not have time to whip up a gourmet meal every night, but check out the many online resources for quick, healthy meals develop a repertoire of 5-7 standard recipes that you can easily learn and master. A healthy, balanced diet will help combat the sugar cravings that may be making you eat more and keeping you awake at night. You can use the same approach to developing an exercise program. Even half an hour of sustained exercise will help keep your heart healthy and help you lose weight.
Finally, think strategically about how what and when you eat affects your sleep. Make it easier for your body to get eight straight hours of sleep by avoiding large meals or snacks before bed, and try to limit the spicy food to lunches and early dinners.
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Insomnia
Written by Mara B. Rusich Friday, 23 May 2008 08:20
Q: Having a hard time falling asleep
~ Beth Elhard
A: There are may be several reasons for this, perusing the eightstraight.com forums may help you better identify your cause, or post more general information about your lifestyle for further help.
Welcome to EightStraight! As you can see, there's plenty of information here to help you learn about why sleep matters and what makes it so hard to get. But when it comes down to it, everyone's different, and sometimes the best way to get the best answer to your question is to get an answer that's tailored to your particular needs and issues.
Using our question form, you can tell me about what's keeping you up at night. Whether you're sick of spending the night staring at your alarm clock and fed up with chamomile tea, wondering how you'll ever get your baby sleep if you're so tired you don't feel like you have the energy to be a parent, or wondering if your snoring is just snoring or Sleep Apnea, I'm here to help you. All you need to do is ask!
Mara B. Rusich, Eightstraight.com
Resident sleep expert
Sleep Tips
Your mom was right: drink some warm milk before bed. Milk contains tryptophan, which induces sleep, and warming the milk releases the tryptophan.
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