Lately I'd rather stay in bed than go to the gym. Maybe not the smartest weight loss move, but if you're lacking on sleep you could be hurting yourself in more ways than being irritable.
You should sleep 7 to 9 hours a night. Here are the benefits if you do:
Fewer colds - rest improves immunity, too little impairs it.
Lower number on the scale - People who slept 7-9 hours had an average BMI of 24.8, almost 2 points lower than those who slept less.
Lower risk of heart disease and diabetes - those who slept less than 5 hours per night had a 500 times greater risk of high blood pressure and were 3 times likelier to have diabetes.
So don't skip your workout to sleep, but do go to bed at a decent time (easy to do with small children, haha), dim the lights before bedtime, avoid the TV and computer before bedtime, and try some yoga or meditation to help you sleep more deeply.
Now if I could just figure out how to keep my boys from interrupting my night's sleep, maybe I could make it to the gym!
"Sleep! It's Non-Negotiable," Prevention Magazine, February 2010, www.prevention.com
