Sleep--how important is it in the equation?

[maggieandmommy]

I keep reading that sleep is important to health and to healthy weight loss, but how important is it really? I'm speaking as a mom to two young kids and an insomniac. Often the only "quiet" time I have is when my husband and kids are sleeping, so yeah, I regularly get 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night.

Am I sabotaging all of my hard work in the gym?

[RedWifey]

I'm going to go with "yep"!

Alwyn's workouts are so so so so taxing on the CNS that it needs that critical time during the night to recover. Maybe you can look at the 1 - 1.5 hours it takes to workout as your "quiet" "me-only" time? Then it wouldn't be so critical that you get it when everyone is in bed and get there yourself!

[GinnyLou]

I agree, it is very important! I have found myself running around like a crazy Mom trying to get the kids ready for bed. I have literally shifted bedtime in the past 2 months, because they also needed more sleep and even though there are nights Murphy's Law wins and I don't get everyone in bed, for the most part it is working. I'm sure the warmer weather (if it decides to get here) is going not going to help this mission, but I am prepared. :P

[alessa]

I have been wondering the same thing lately. I have the same situation with only getting quiet time once the kids are asleep, although most of the time I have at least six (if it's five, I get really crabby on top of whatever physical toll it takes). It's like I need to unwind a couple of hours before I can sleep or want to sleep. I think it's really important mentally to be able to just curl up on the couch for a little while each night when you know the craziness is over for the day. Maybe if my days were not so chaotic I would not need it. I think quality of sleep has a big impact as well as overall time. I do find myself feeling worse on days when my sleep was interrupted more than usual or I had insomnia during the night. For now at least, knowing I have that time helps me get through the rest of the day. I usually pass out on the couch before I even make it to bed, so I am at least trying to get in bed for the entire night once I can't keep my eyes open anymore rather than doing half of it on the couch.

[foodfromafar]

Ditto on the kids for me...however, I found that I MUST get a minimum of 7 hours, preferably 8, for my body to work at its peak. When I hit a plateau because I didn't have time to sleep more, I discovered how important prioritizing sleep is. I find time to exercise and I find time to sleep. The "me" time will happen eventually...kids aren't little forever. My oldest is 27 this year!!!

[rixatrix]

Well, what are your options? I mean really. Are you going to suddenly find an extra three hours to sleep somehow? Or just quit going to the gym?

You ask if you're sabotaging all your hard work. I say, in an ideal world, getting more sleep could probably only help you reach your goals faster. But you live in your world, your life, and it sounds like the cards are stacked against you - you're a mom, a self-proclaimed insomniac, and if you were in a situation where you could get a bunch more sleep, well, wouldn't you be?

I feel like this is one of those times where you have to do the best you can. Strive for better, but do the best you can. Keep exercising, because it's good for you on a million different levels. Keep trying to sleep when you can - could you squeeze in a nap?

Unless you have a method for CREATING extra time in each day that you're not telling us about (do you?), just keep on truckin', honey.

Me, I love the sleep. Mmm. But then, I'm single and have no kids, so I'm afforded that luxury. I'd hire a babysitter just to squeeze in a nap if I had to. That's how much I like sleeping. LOVE sleeping.

[maggieandmommy]

Lol Rix...I remember those sleep-lovin' years! Enjoy them now, baby! Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm going to try to do better but you're right--there's only so many hours in the day. I wish I could squeeze a little more time in there, but it's not in the cards right now.

[Bonnie]

I am a real night owl, but I've been reading lots of sleep research articles lately that are making me change my tune. Here's one. Trust me, this kind of study is the only kind that will get me into bed on time!

Hum... now it is requiring registration to read the article. Here are some snippets:

Short or Long Sleep Duration Linked to Weight Gain

April 7, 2008 — Patients who slept for short or long durations experienced an increase in weight compared with those who slept for an average duration of 7 to 9 hours, according to the results of a longitudinal study reported in the April issue of Sleep.

"Individual and environmental factors that have an influence on energy balance are not fully understood," write Jean-Philippe Chaput, MSc, from Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, and colleagues. "Current treatments for obesity have been largely unsuccessful in maintaining long-term weight loss, suggesting the need for new insight into the mechanisms that result in altered metabolism and behavior and may lead to obesity."

....
The investigators compared changes in adiposity indices among groups determined by sleep duration: short (5 - 6 hours), average (7 - 8 hours), and long (9 - 10 hours).

Compared with average-duration sleepers, short-duration sleepers gained 1.98 kg more in a 6-year period (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 - 2.82), and long-duration sleepers gained 1.58 kg more (95% CI, 1.02 - 2.56) after adjustment for age, sex, and baseline BMI. At 6 years, short-duration and long-duration sleepers were 35% and 25% more likely to experience a 5-kg weight gain, respectively, vs average-duration sleepers.

Compared with average-duration sleepers, short-duration sleepers had a 27% increased risk for the development of obesity, and long-duration sleepers had a 21% increase in risk. Adjustment for energy intake and physical activity participation did not affect these associations, which remained significant after inclusion of important covariates.

[RedLefty]

Here's a link to Bill Hartman's recent blog post about sleep. I also put the text below and recommend that you read his post on "restoration", which he links to.

Bill is one of the smartest guys in the business and was a presenter at the past two JPFitness Summits.

Originally Posted by Hartmanator

Sleep and Fat Loss
I was doing my food prep last night while my wife was watching “60 minutes.” Most of the time I’d have ignored the TV, but they were talking about the science of sleep and it’s impact on health so my ears perked up.

Here’s some highlights:

After 6 nights of sleep deprivation, subjects of one study were found to be pre-diabetic…6 nights!

Leptin hormone concentrations are altered by sleep deprivation such that you become hungrier and consume more calories. This kind of makes sense that I you’re awake more you would eat more, but these calories may be in excess of your daily requirements and increase fat storage.

A lack of deep sleep may be risk factor in most of the major cardiovascular diseases.

As we age, we spend less time in deep sleep.

Sleep is not just a primary recovery tool as part of your training (see Restoration), but it’s also an important component of overall health.

One little piece of advice: Try to go to sleep and wake at the same times each day. Otherwise, it’s like constantly changing time zones which makes it harder to get restorative sleep.

Here’s a link to the 60 minutes segment:

The Science Of Sleep, Lesley Stahl Explores The Latest Findings In Sleep Research - CBS News

Bill

[maggieandmommy]

Thanks, guys! I'll check those articles out!

[nutbar]

Sleep? Puh-leez. Maybe the wussy dads need sleep but we moms? Pshaw. We don't need no steenkin' sleep.

[JustKim]

Sleep? Um... with 4 children under 8 I haven't slept in 8 years.

[SpacecityPaula]

I'm working on my sleep too y'all. I can find all kinds of reasons to stay up until midnight and then only get 5-6 hours of sleep. I have the insomniac tendencies too - I've always been a night owl. I've done it for years.... but I find the more sleep I get, the better I feel.

One of the habits I am working on right now is turning the computer off at least an hour before bed (I don't have a TV so that doesn't even come into play). People who watch TV or play on the computer right before bed tend not to feel like they've gotten good sleep even if they have had enough ZZZZs.

Here's some studies to show how it affects kids and adults

The National Sleep Foundation - National Sleep Foundation

Sleep Disorders: Electronic Insomnia: The Information SuperHighway and Sleep


TV Could Be Disrupting Your Kid's Sleep - MSN Health & Fitness - Kids' Health

Teenagers hooked on TV and computer games only get four hours' 'junk sleep' a night| News | This is London

CapeCodTimes.com - Teens losing sleep over technologybsb