I love sleep. Naps are my jam. For the majority of my life, sleep was a priority for me every day. That was until I got a job doing a morning radio show and everything, including my sleep, changed. Suddenly, I wasn't able to get enough sleep.

Getting up at 3am, is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It's not so much the getting up that's a problem, but the incredible sleepy feeling I get in the middle of the day, that is the real issue.

It's like I can never get enough sleep. I'm not even on the same schedules as my family. I should be going to bed around 6pm to get the amount of sleep my body needs. But, I'm lucky to get 6 hours of sleep, its usually five hours. During my sleep hours, I sleep really good. It's just not enough time.

Thirteen years of living like this has really taken its tole on me. I've always read that not getting enough sleep contributes to weight gain and I would have to agree. Sleep and stress have contributed to me gaining quite a bit of weight over the years. But, is it really true?

Does lack of sleep make you gain weight?

Yes, it does. According to healthline.com,

Studies have found that poor sleep is associated with weight gain and a higher likelihood of obesity in both adults and children.

Can getting more sleep help you LOSE weight?

Experts have just completed a study that says, that to lose weight, sleep is as important as diet and exercise. You can actually lose a considerable amount of weight by getting more hours of sleep.

<div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--sourced-paragraph"><p class="zn-body__paragraph speakable" data-paragraph-id="paragraph_FBB0DEAE-CB46-4A03-5053-D0BA0523EBC2" data-act-id="paragraph_0">Want to lose weight from sleeping? Try extending your sleep time so you are not sleep deprived. That's the startling outcome of a randomized trial that asked young, overweight adults who typically slept less than six and a half hours to try to sleep about eight and a half hours a night for two weeks. At the end of that short amount of time, many of those who did extend their sleep to a healthier length decreased their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories a day. - CNN Health </p></div><div class="zn-body__paragraph" data-paragraph-id="paragraph_0FC345AA-CDAE-0711-E692-C6A20E680B18" data-act-id="paragraph_2"> </div>

That is good enough for me. This is a way to lose weight that I can really get on board with.

That means going to bed earlier, no matter what comes up. Oh, look at the time. I should get really for bed so I can makeup the time I have lost. Don't you think? Goodnight...zzzzzzz

 

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