Achieving Kelly Brook's figure could be just a sleep away!
We've all been there, trying desperately to diet in the hope of achieving a figure like Angelina Jolie or Kelly Brook but did you know the secret to slimming could be down to your sleeping pattern?
Leading academic and renowned sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley reveals that an estimated 27 million Brits are struggling to shift those surplus pounds by failing to recognise the missing link when it comes to weight control - a restful night’s sleep. Dr Stanley urges us to consider that there is more to weight management than ‘calories in, calories out’ and to see sleep as a vital link in the ‘well-being triangle’ - a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and making sure we get a good night’s sleep.
Commissioned by the makers of Horlicks, Dr Stanley’s second sleep report, Caught in the Inslimniac Trap, shows that a lack of sleep could be sabotaging our efforts to lose weight, even if we’re cutting calories and exercising regularly. New figures revealed in the report show that 74% of us still don’t see a good night’s sleep as a priority for maintaining a healthy weight - even though 77% of us admit to wanting to lose a few pounds or more.
A healthy diet and regular exercise have long been recognised as the best ways to achieve an ideal weight and body shape. However, the importance of sleep in maintaining a healthy weight - or helping us lose weight - has, until recently, been given limited attention, and the report shows that this message is not getting through to the UK’s slimmers.
The report identifies and outlines three common ways in which a lack of sleep can hinder weight control, leaving you caught in the ‘inslimniac trap’:
Sleep starvation: Not getting enough sleep disturbs the equilibrium of our ‘hunger hormones’, interfering with our normal appetite. This can mean that your brain receives confusing signals telling it you need more food than you really do.
Fitness fatigue: Tiredness resulting from lack of sleep can reduce our desire and motivation to exercise regularly. Lack of sleep also leads to a reduction in the hormone which regulates food intake and signals to the body when we have had enough food. This hormone is likely to make us feel more sedentary and less likely to exercise.
Junk sleep: Not sleeping well can make us more susceptible to making poor food choices, eating irregularly, snacking between meals and eating fewer vegetables - none of which help us maintain a healthy weight.
Dr Stanley says: "Our research shows that the message is not getting through, which identifies the need for clear, consumer advice that people can understand. People need simple steps to follow and that is what I am giving them. Those caught in the ‘inslimniac trap’ don’t realise that a lack of sleep could be their secret diet-saboteur. It’s a vicious circle: not getting enough sleep results in a tendency to overeat, poor food choices and a lack of desire to exercise - and being overweight can increase the risk of certain sleep disorders.
"Sleep could form the enjoyable and relaxing part of your weight-loss programme alongside counting calories and regular exercise - you just need to make time for it. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should always make sure you wind down properly before you go to bed."
We're all for an excuse to spend a bit longer in bed so these tips are a Godsend to us!
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