What staying up late is costing you—The sleep & weight connection.

The kids are asleep, the kitchen is clean and put away, but you aren’t super tired yet. Do you turn on the tv and watch your favorite show for an hour (or two)? If you are like most moms, we tend to justify our answer by classifying this time as “mom-time” or “filling our cup” with something we want to do after a long day at the office and then tending to our kids. But what exactly are we trading in for that extra hour of screen time? The reality is, quite A LOT.
 
Remember when our children were babies and all the experts told us  that setting up a night time routine for them was the recipe to get them to sleep through the night? If you were like me, you heeded the advice and set, like clockwork, every night a bath ritual (complete with a song), massaging, lowering the lights, nursing and a little rocking, then placing them in their beds, tucking them in, shutting off the lights and closing the door. Sound familiar? Yup, we did this for them, but never, ever did we think twice about what sleep and rest can do for us. The answer is LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
 
When we don’t get enough sleep our bodies enter a slight state of stress. Cortisol, our stress hormone, stays elevated throughout the day making us agitated and uneasy. It also raises our insulin hormones, which if you remember is our master fat storage hormone. When your insulin levels are high, your body is in fat storage mode. Further, when it is chronically high (day in and day out), then your fat storage lever is jammed in the on position with no quick way to turn it off. Cortisol also stimulates hunger. Since your body is “stressed” (but really just tired), your brain thinks you don’t or won’t have enough energy to get through the day, so it forces you to eat. But not just ANY food, it trains your body to seek out foods that can deliver quick bursts of energy. Can you guess what those are? Yes, carbohydrates and sugars—the junk food!!! Studies have shown that a person can change their insulin sensitivity to that of a pre-diabetic in just 2 days of inadequate sleep! That extra hour doesn’t sound so great afterall, right?
 
Here some things you can do to improve your sleep (HINT: give yourself a night time routine, mama!):
 
Set the environment
The best ambient temperature for humans is about 65°. Adults should target a room temperature of 60-65° while children and infants ambient temperatures should 65-68° because the cool air can stir them more than it can an adult. Why so cold? The human body naturally gets warmer during sleep. The body opens blood vessels which raises the body’s temperature slightly in a process called vasodilation. When you think of the purpose of sleep, which is your body’s time to repair, opening blood vessels makes so much sense because by doing so, it helps more efficiently transport oxygen and vitamins and minerals to our cells, muscles, neurons, etc. that are repairing or regenerating and filter and carry away toxins. (The human body is soooooo cool!)
 
Turn off all the lights
Studies have shown that even the smallest amount of light can effect our circadian rhythm. That’s because our bodies are biologically wired to respond to light. When our cells detect light they stimulate the release serotonin which directly stops the brain’s production of melatonin, initiating wakefulness. So, turn off all the lights in your room. Yes, even your VCR and digital alarm clock light!
 
Shut off your devices 1 hour before bed
This goes along with the tip above about hormone secretion from light. Once the sum sets, our brain responds by producing and excreting melatonin from our pineal gland. This calms us down and prepares our body for sleep. In our technology centered world this natural signaling is disrupted by our devices—ipads, kindles, phones, computers and TV. These light emitting devices keeps our serotonin production high which keeps us artificially awake but our bodily systems tired and ready for repair (which is essentially what rest is for). A good rule of thumb is to turn off your devices at least 30 minutes before bed—I like to recommend 1 hour so that your body can really prepare for rest.  
 
Front load your sleep
Well, I’ll just sleep in on the weekend or stay in bed a little longer in the morning. Unfortunately it doesn’t work this way. Studies have shown that it is much more effective to front-load your sleep and get to bed earlier. Because our bodies naturally work with the rising and setting of the sun, once the day begins, chances are your body will be in a wakeful mode. Have you ever stayed up late and then still woke up at your normal time the next morning no matter how hard you try to sleep in? This is a direct example of your body doing its natural job. Try going to bed 30 minutes earlier than you normally do. Do this for a week or two and then gradually increase the time until you’ve found a nice sweet-spot in your sleep quality.
 
Go for a walk after dinner
Studies have shown that a quick 20 minute walk after dinner each night can increase the quality of your sleep—which is a great thing. Ecotherapists claim that a walk can help impact the production of neurotransmitters like melatonin which can encourage more deep sleep. Walks have also been shown to reduce stress and work to reset your circadian rhythm. So instead of dessert, try going on a walk after dinner!
 
Monitor your sleep with an app
Has this really struck a cord for you? Know that not everyone needs a full 8-9 hours of rest a day. Just like with everything else, people’s needs are individual. Some need 6 others 9 and if you have been chronically sleep deprived you may need more in the beginning and then your needs may level off or taper down. The only way to know how much you will need is some experimentation and a sleep app. I use my apple watch and an app called Pillow to monitor my sleep. You can see data like resting heart rate, etc and see a relative sleep score. I am not a sleep expert, but you can quickly see how adjusting your sleep duration can have massive effects on your sleep quality.
 
Whatever you do, do your best to make sleep (and consistent sleep) a priority. Don’t sabotage your weight loss journey by not getting enough sleep. It’s something that isn’t hard and doesn’t cost nY money to do; but it has immense implications for your total health and wellness!

The ideas, concepts and opinions expressed herein are intended to be used for EDUCATION PURPOSES ONLY. These documents are published and distributed with the understanding that Arlene Santos and This Keto Family are not rendering medical advice of any kind, nor is intending to replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe or treat any disease, condition, illness or injury. It is imperative that before beginning any diet or exercise program, including any aspect of the ketogenic program, you receive full medical clearance from a licensed physician. ​