Week 4: Individual Challenge

Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night

 

Elephants only need 3-4 hours of sleep at night, while mice sleep 14 hours.  Humans are somewhere in the middle, but research shows if you are averaging 6 hours of sleep or less, you will have a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and may be more likely to eat more...and gain more weight. 

 

Why would people who sleep less weigh more?  It kind of seems counterintuitive.   You would think those who sleep less would burn more calories since they are awake longer; however, it seems to be more linked with what happens to your body when you deprive it of sleep as opposed to the physical activity you get. 

 

What happens involves two hormones:  Leptin, which is released by fat cells, signals the brain to stop eating.  Ghrelin, (prounounced GRELL-in), which is made in the stomach, is a signal to keep eating. These two hormones influence whether you go for a second helping or push yourself away from the table. 

 

When you are sleep-deprived, your body has lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin.  To make matters worse, when you don't get enough sleep, you typically crave and are more likely to reach for sugary or starchy items to give you quick energy and keep you awake, things like: chips, candy, bread, ice cream, and cereal.  Compounding the problem, the brain interprets a drop in leptin as a sign of starvation.  So it responds by not only boosting hunger, but also by burning fewer calories. This means you will put on more weight even if you don't eat more food!

 

Have I made my case?  Ideally I would like you to get 8 hours of sleep each night, but to award yourself an extra ten points at the end of the week, you need to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night this week.  I would imagine with all the intense activity you are getting in on this challenge, sleeping should be easy because your bodies are exhausted. 

 

Q:  But what if my kids wake me up in the middle of the night?

A:  Call Warner, he's not doing the challenge.  :)

Just kidding.  Make sure you are going to bed at a decent hour and if you are awakened before you want to be, do your best to get back to sleep as soon as possible. It's more about the time you go to bed and the time you wake up.

 

Q:  But what if all this blasted water I am drinking
makes me wake up multiple times at night?

A:  Do your best to try to get your water in earlier in the day so you aren't downing your last 32 ounces an hour before bed.  If you are waking up, try to just do your business and get back to bed as soon as possible.  Again, the challenge will be based on the time you go to bed and the time you wake up.  Hopefully you will be able to sleep through the middle, but if not, then at least you made the effort to do your part.

 

Sweet Dreams!