How To Lose Weight By Sleeping

Lose weight while you sleep! Sound too good to be true? Here to tell us how to drop pounds while catching some Zs is sleep expert and author of Beauty Sleep Dr. Michael Breus.

Studies show that sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on hormones that control appetite, cravings and the metabolism of fat. According to Dr. Breus, the average woman gets 6 hours 40 minutes. For this diet, he recommends catching at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep.

When women are deprived of sleep, they have an increase in gherlin, what we call the "go" hormones, because it makes you want to eat more. They also have a drop in leptin the "stop" hormone that tells you to stop when you're full." A woman's body craves simple carbs that it can break down fast for quick energy.

During deep sleep the brain secretes a large amount of growth hormone, which tells the body how to break down fat or fuel. Deprive ythe body of deep sleep and when extra calories get stored as fat, there isn't enough growth hormone to break it down. So, the body takes a shortcut and packs it away in your butt, thighs, etc. As well, one's perception of how hard or easy exercise is to do is directly affected by how sleep deprived you are.

If you want to start the Sleep Diet, here are some rules to live by:

Rule 1: Go to sleep at the same time everyday
Rule 2: Start a bedtime routine
Rule 3: Watch caffeine and alcohol intake
Rule 4: Experiment with how much sleep you need

For more on the Sleep Diet, check out the March issue of Glamour Magazine or visit www.glamour.com.

Sleep Expert Dr. Michael Breus