A Good Night’s Sleep Will Help You Maintain Your Diet And Exercise Goals

The study, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, followed a group of adults for one year to monitor their sleep health, adherence to a weight loss program, and physical activity.

All participants were overweight or obese, but healthy enough to make dietary changes and exercise.

Initial findings suggested that people who slept healthily were more likely to attend group weight loss sessions, meet calorie goals, and spend time doing moderate-to-vigorous exercise. .

However, the association wasn’t as strong as it didn’t meet the threshold for statistical significance, but experts say that doesn’t mean the results aren’t useful.

“Studies like this are really hypothetical, suggesting a general link between sleep health and adherence to diet and exercise,” said Luger.

“Given our understanding of underlying physiology and behavioral psychology, large-scale studies are not needed to recommend sleep hygiene practices to patients,” Luger added.

However, it should also be noted that this was a fairly small study. With only 125 participants, the group was described as 91% female and 81% white.

“Not having a diverse demographic is a significant limitation. However, the results of this study remain intriguing, and many aspects of sleep physiology can be generalized to adults as a whole.” Dr. Sujai KansagraAn associate professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, told Healthline.

Dr. Alex Dimitriudual-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in California, he noted that personal discipline and impulse control are also factors.

“People who have the discipline to get good sleep may also have the discipline to stick to a weight loss program. It’s a virtuous cycle where discipline helps sleep and sleep helps discipline (and weight loss).” Dimitriu told Healthline.

The preliminary findings of this study build on a body of existing research that more reliably associates healthy sleep with many benefits.

“From a behavioral psychology perspective, lifestyle changes often stack on top of each other. It can be fixed to the base.

There is also evidence that lack of sleep can have negative health effects.

“Poor sleep quality can worsen almost all medical and psychological conditions. We know it’s related,” said Cansagra.

In connection with the study, Kansagra said, “We know that sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue and mood changes, which can negatively affect your motivation to exercise.

rear turpinRPSGT, a sleep technician at the HSHS St. Elizabeth Sleep Disorders Center in O’Fallon, Illinois, told Healthline. These have a huge impact not only on weight loss, but also on how our bodies recover from daily activity and exercise.”

Dr. Mewish SajidHe is a Physician in Sleep Medicine and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Health and a Clinical Instructor in Neurology and Family Medicine at UM Medical School in Ann Arbor.

“Regular sleep helps us fall asleep faster, wake up more easily, and maintain alertness during the day. You can use it to send signals to your body about the time of day,” Sajid said.

Knowing you need healthy sleep and actually getting it are two different things.

For most people, a few small tweaks can get you on track toward a healthy routine.

“Sleep loves rhythm and space. Stick to your usual bedtime and wake-up time. give me,” said Dimitriu.

“Unfortunately, the more we squeeze or ‘force’ sleep, the worse it gets,” he added.

Turpin recommends “creating and maintaining a very calming and consistent nightly routine, such as exercising a few hours before bed, taking a shower or soothing bath, reading a book, and going to bed at the same time.” I suggested.

“Be sure to eliminate all electronic devices from your bedroom, as light affects melatonin production, causing wakefulness during sleep, sleep duration, sleep onset, and sleep deprivation,” Turpin added. .

“I always recommend sticking to the same bedtime and wake-up time during the week, including weekends,” Sajid said.