Is your lack of sleep getting in the way of your fitness goals?

If you are like most Americans, you are not getting enough sleep. Researches believe that one of the primary causes of obesity is sleep deprivation. Which simply means that the less you sleep the more you will weigh. Throughout the day, the longer we remain awake, our metabolism tends to get confused and we end up eating more, getting stressed, and gaining weight. When your body doesn't get enough sleep, the proteins in your body that tell you you are full simply stop working. This causes your body to feel hungry and of course, you eat more.

Sleep deprivation also causes increased levels of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol tells our body that we are hungry and lowers lean body mass. Lack of sleep also causes our bodies to convert calories into fat instead of energy. Finally, not getting enough sleep can interferes with your bodies ability to build muscle mass. Of course, the more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn through out the day.

There are a few ways to help yourself fall asleep each night.

• You should turn off your computer and T.V. every night at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Make sure that you eat enough proteins during the day and try to eat something with protein before you go to bed. This will keep you full and lower your stress level by increasing the amount of cortisol in your body.
• You should try to go to bed at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. This way you body establishes a routine.
• Also, when you plan out your day, you should exercise at least three hours before bedtime. Exercising wakes up your body making it harder for you to fall asleep
• . The last thing that you can do to help you fall asleep at night is try not to take naps during the day. Of course if you need to try to limit them to 15 minutes.

Written by Lori Sarne, Personal Trainer at Motivation Fitness