Strategy #6: Sleep

Sleep

      One of my favorite things to do in this world is to sleep! And thank God, it helps with weight loss and weight maintenance. Who doesn't love getting some sleep in? People pay lots of money for sleep aids so yes, everyone gotta love it. Oh, that wonderful feeling of waking up well rested-I feel like jumping into bed right now.
      Getting enough sleep helps in achieving your weight loss goal because the more you sleep the less you eat. If you are up more hours of the day you are likely to eat more.
Sometimes getting enough sleep is hard, so it's important to protect your sleep time. Waking up well rested offers many benefits which I know you will love-glowing skin, increased focus, better memory, improved digestion, improved mood, less stress and it curbs irritability.
Here are a few suggestions on protecting your sleep time:
1. Have a curtain to block sunlight early in the morning especially if your room faces the east
2. Avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before your bedtime
3. Get into a regular sleep routine and avoid scheduling activities around the time you are supposed to be asleep ie late night or too early in the morning
4. During the weekends avoid sleeping in because this will affect your circadian cycle. On Monday  you will wake up groggy (this is probably why a lot of people resent Mondays).
5. Drink warm milk or chamomile tea  if you are having trouble going to bed
6. Avoid using the computer at least 30 minutes before bed because the light affects your falling asleep
7. Avoid loading up on liquids just before bed because this will have you waking up many times during the night
8. If you take diuretic pills make sure you follow the dosing strictly because taking them just before bed will mean you will be waking up during the night too
9. Turn the cellphone to silent mode
10. Move the TV out of the bedroom
11. Make sure the room is cool enough to sleep in
12. Take out strong smelling bedroom deodorizers

Protecting your sleep time will help you lose weight but the benefits will not stop there! So count sheep if you have to, gotta get those zzz's in. Sweet dreams....