We’ve got the banana diet, eat bananas lose weight, and the cookie diet, eat cookies lose weight, and now, the sleep diet. You guessed it! Get sleep lose weight.
Not a bad idea! Because several studies have linked America’s staggering rate of obesity to a decrease in the average number of hours people are sleeping.
So, here’s the gist of it. The Sleep Diet is not about getting more sleep. Instead, it focuses on getting the right amount of sleep. Shoot for 7 ½ hours every night.
- Part 1: Write down when you get up in the morning and count back 7 ½ hours. That’s the time you need to go to bed.
- Part 2: Start a bedtime routine. Try reading a book before you go sleep or taking a hot bath. Soon your body will start to associate certain activities with falling asleep. And be sure to turn off your cell phone, TV, computer and other gadgets.
- Part 3: Cut your alcohol and caffeine habits. Caffeine keeps you awake and leaves bloodshot and some experts say booze my knock you out at first but interferes with sleep later on.
- Part 4: Learn to roll with the punches. If you’ll miss your favorite shows, record them. Get your significant other on board too. And wean yourself off of coffee and other junk slowly.
Now, if you ask me, this is a little gimmicky and lacks some basics, like exercise and nutrition, but getting more sleep is good idea. No one likes a nation of cranky, sleep deprived people.
Via Glamour Magazine.