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We already know that not getting enough sleep is a huge cause of unwanted weight gain. But what happens if you’re laying down to sleep and you just can’t, or if you’re waking up in the middle of the night and don’t know why? There may be a few factors at play. See which of these sounds like you:
- You’re exercising right before bed. A good workout can help you improve your night’s sleep, but not if you’re exercising right before bed. That energy rush you get after a good workout can really take a toll on you when you try to go to sleep half an hour later. Try to work out either in the morning or right after work—that way your body has enough time to settle down before you lay down.
- You’re on your phone until the bitter end. We all know this is a problem. The light from your phone can actually biologically make sleep more difficult. Try to shut off all screens twenty minutes before you go to bed, and turn down the brightness as much as possible in the hours before you go to sleep.
- You’re drinking too late. The sugars in drinks like wine and cocktails can keep you up much longer than you think. We already know that alcohol can damage sleep quality, but the sugarier your drink and the later your drinking it, the worse your sleep quality will be. Either enjoy your nightly glass of wine at least two hours before bed, or ditch it all together, at least on weeknights.
- Dinner is your biggest meal. For a lot of people, dinner tends to be the largest meal of the day. All this means for you is that it takes longer to digest, and your body is working on that instead of letting you sleep. Try to keep your dinner the same size as your breakfast and lunch, and eat slowly so you can feel yourself fill up.
All of these habits are totally normal, and you probably didn’t even know you were doing them. But realizing your habits is the first problem, and with every one that you tackle, you’re making your sleep habits, and your weight loss, that much easier.
What are some ways that you try to get enough sleep?
