As I mentioned a post or two ago, it turns out there’s a big link between how much and how well you sleep and your health, weight included. Scientists use words like Ghrelin, Leptin and Cortisol. I just want to know if these crazy sleep hours my Lovely Wife and I have been living are making me use a bigger belt.
Of course I’m kidding, the belt is nobody’s fault but mine.
But wouldn’t it be awesome to know that if I could get better sleep (which seems to be happening, but it’s probably too early to count those chickens) it might be easier to shed pounds.
This piece from Psychology Today indicates that maybe REM sleep actually burns calories. Which means the more deep, good sleep you get the more calories you burn. In your freakin’ sleep. As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up.
Now, of course, actually getting as much sleep as this article advocates is tough to schedule for most of us. If I prioritized sleeping for eight hours this blog wouldn’t exist. Because I’m writing this at 11:10 PM, and the latest I’ll be sleeping is about 5:45 AM. An even 5 AM if I’m going to spend any quality time with my running shoes.
Regardless, it’s promising to hear that, yes, there is a link to all that sleep most of us are not getting and the problems losing weight many of are experiencing.
In other weight/health related news, have you been following this Paula Deen thing? I’ve only been paying minimal attention to it, and I have to say, good for her for talking about diabetes. I do not care that she waited until the most commercially-beneficial time to discuss it publicly, she’s discussing it. And did anybody think the fried chicken, etc. she’d been pushing was remotely healthy? Really? Of course not. She never told anybody to eat that stuff all the time, and if you did, you had to ask yourself if it was a good idea, didn’t you?
So, from my perspective, better late to the party with the loud microphone than not to show up at all.
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the week!
Skipping Dessert 