How can we possibly be committed to the Total Fitness Plan without first talking about the importance of sleep? You heard me - the right diet and exercise routine is not enough unless you get enough sleep. Your weight loss goals are unlikely to be met if sleep deprivation plagues you night after night. Here is some important information about how sleep deprivation will negatively affect your weight loss goals.

Several studies conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and the University of Wisconsin have all found a link between sleep deprivation and weight loss. Eve Van Cauter, from the University of Chicago, recently conducted a study that found a definite link between hormone production and sleep deprivation.

Weight loss and gain are controlled by two hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is responsible for stimulating your appetite and leptin is supposed to tell your brain when you are full. Van Cauter and her team found that people with sleep deprivation may find weight loss extremely difficult because a lack of sleep causes elevated levels of ghrelin (making them hungrier) and decreased levels of leptin (Source: usatoday.com, 12/06/04).

Sleep deprivation can make weight loss extremely difficult because it causes your body to work against you! Researchers at the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University also found a correlation between sleep deprivation and obesity. An estimated 65% of Americans are overweight or obese and 63% of the population report that they do not get 8 hours of sleep or more per night.

For people suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and getting only 2-4 hours of sleep per night, weight loss is unlikely because they are 73% more likely to be obese than those getting 8 hours or more of sleep. People getting less than their recommended amount of pillow time also tend to have a higher BMI and are therefore more at risk for disease (Source: usatoday.com, 12/06/04).

I will bet good money that you never thought sleep deprivation could spoil your weight loss goals, did you? Even when you do away with all of the fancy research, it actually makes sense when you think about it.

Sleep deprivation will clearly affect your weight loss goals because you will have less energy meaning your workouts will not be as effective (if you don’t blow them off altogether!). Sleep deprivation also robs you of mental focus so even if you do find the energy for your workout, it will not be as productive or intense as it would otherwise have been.

The bottom line is sleep deprivation will have a negative impact on your weight loss goals. So turn off that “boob tube” a little earlier and hit the sack! You wouldn't want to fall short of your weight loss and fitness goals just because you weren't getting enough sleep, now would you?

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