How sleep deprivation can cause you to gain 3 pounds in 11 days

You know how I can tell I'm getting older? I brag to my friends if I get a really good night of sleep.

My life is a thrill a minute.

But I love to sleep! I am great at napping. The main reason I like sleep so much is because I need more of it.

Can I get an amen on that?

Do you get enough sleep?

It is tough to get up at 4am and get enough sleep. You have to go to bed at a ridiculous hour, you want to eat dinner at 4pm, and you can not understand people who call at 815pm. It's the middle of the night!

Being tired is a signal from your body telling you to change something. Get more sleep, exercise, eat better are the top 3 you have control over.

If you are sleep deprived, this study found that you can gain 11 pounds in just 3 days. That is nuts!

Other studies have shown that sleep deprivation can cause:

-you to snack more after dinner

-you to eat more carbs

-your fat cells to age making you more likely to gain weight and get diabetes

-a decrease in alertness and increase reaction time, making you more likely to be in a traffic accident

-you to be more stressed, angry, sad, and depressed

The bottom line is, if you are interested in your long term health you will make it a priority to get enough rest. There are situations, new born babies come to mind, where it just isn't possible. You are excused.

The rest of us, we just need to make it a priority. This could be the missing piece of the puzzle for you.

Do you feel like you are right on the edge of getting into shape and then something derails you?

If you are interested in more tips on how to get better quality sleep, you can check out this article I wrote last year: Get that good sleep

The main thing is start making sleep one of your top priority's today.