The article states that a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that overweight people on a reduced-calorie diet lost more weight from fat if they slept eight hours a night than those who slept less than six hours a night.

An article published by WebMD explains that new research shows that sleep disruption can negatively affect Leptin (a chemical that sends signals to indicate fullness) and Ghrelin(a chemical that stimulates the appetite).  When you fail to get the sleep you need, your Leptin levels decrease, meaning that you don’t feel full even after you’ve eaten and Ghrelin levels increase, which means you feel hungry, even if you’ve just eaten.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that research shows that routine exercising can improve sleep. Exercising 4-8 hours before bedtime can help primary insomnia patients get to sleep faster, wake up less often and increase total time asleep. Aerobic exercise may help reduce anxiety at bedtime, leading to better sleep.

Research shows that poor sleep is related to many serious health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Many people fail to make sleep a priority; however, many also suffer from undiagnosed  sleep disorders. If you suffer from insomnia-like symptoms, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, daytime sleepiness and un-refreshing sleep for more than a month, you should contact a sleep doctor in order to diagnose and treat your sleep problems.

The study, conducted at Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City, Ca., included 500 individuals who were asked to reduce their daily caloric intake by 500 calories and to exercise 180 minutes per week.

Findings of the study show that a combination of stress, depression and insomnia make it extremely difficult to shed weight.

Participants who reported high levels of insomnia, stress or depression were less likely to achieve their goal of losing 10 pounds.

Researchers explained that when you do not sleep and are experiencing stress, your body increases its production of cortisol, which causes an increase in glucose and insulin production, resulting in fat retention.

Results demonstrate that dieters need to focus not only on their eating and exercise habits, but also on their sleep and stress levels.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,  most adults require between seven and eight hours of sleep each night to be fully rested.  Below are tips suggested by the organization, with some of my modifications, to help improve your sleep on your own:

• Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
• If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed but keep the lights low and avoid electronics. I recommend listening to soothing music or an audio book while sitting in a comfortable chair with low or no light.
• Get up at the same time every morning.
• Avoid taking naps if you can.
• Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or use any electronics in bed.
• Do not have any alcohol within three hours of your bedtime.
• Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime.
• Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either.
• Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously.
• Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.  For example, you could keep a journal and make a habit of writing down your worries and concerns, including those about sleep.  But make it a habit to write in it at least two hours before bedtime. 

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Laboratory research, much of which was done at University of Chicago, points to the explanation for this. When your sleep is disrupted or restricted, then your metabolic rate is slowed, your appetite hormones are not functioning properly(making you hungrier) and your ability to regulate your glucose and insulin is impaired, not to mention that you just have no energy to exercise or take the time to prepare nutritious food.  So any sleep disorder that affects the quality or quantity of your sleep, especially insomnia and sleep apnea, can lead to weight gain and obesity.