How Important is Sleep in Weight Loss?

Hungry Morning

I don't know about everyone else but for me no sleep = hungry!?!?  I don't know why but if I don't get enough sleep I feel like eating constantly the next day.  I wake up and just want to grab the nearest "Snack" in the cupboard.  We all know this is not a Healthy Way to lose weight so what causes it and what do you do about?  Blame it on leptin and ghrelin.  Leptin who, and Ghrelin what you ask? 

That is what I said.  I knew nothing about these Hormones.  I know, I said it "Hormones" the dreaded word for any woman.  I feel like I am constantly battling Hormones throughout the day and now come to find out I need to battle them while sleeping as well......I am no feminist but can't us woman ever get a break?

So I did some research to find out just what is going on and this is what I found at Web MD .

"Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD.
The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain."

O.k. so I need to get a better nights sleep, but how?

I found this great blog Awake and Living where she goes into exactly what will set you up for a lifetime of Good Zzzzzz's!  No magic pills here.  Just some good advice on getting into a good routine.  And only saving your bed for two S's.....even sneaking in a nap every now and again :)