Five Ways to Boost Sleep's Fat-Burning Effects

Natasha Turner is a naturopathic doctor and author of the bestselling books The Hormone Diet and The Supercharged Hormone Diet. She is also the founder of Toronto-based, Clear Medicine Wellness Boutique. She shares five tips on how to help improve sleep, which is essential to reduing stress and fat.

With little sleep, cortisol levels rise, which increase appetite. Cortisol also raises blood sugar and insulin levels and results in increased fat deposition around the abdomen. The increased stress level from lack of sleep can also have effects on our endocrine system, like the thyroid gland, which controls the metabolism and ultimatley, body composition.

1. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is vital to a healthy life. A study by a team of reasearches from Warwick Medical School and the State of University of New York at Buffalo discovered that shorter sleep cycles are associated with an elevated risk of a pre-diabetic state, known as incident-impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG). This means that your body isn't able to regulate glucose as efficently as it should, which can potentially cause health issues like weight gain, type 2 diabetes and heart disease and stroke.

Seven to eight hours of sleep is what is recommended, however some people may require more or less. Listen to your body! If you wake up without an alarm clock, feeling refreshed, you are getting the right amount of sleep.

2. Aim for a Stress-Free Slumber

The following are suggested vitamins and herbs that Turner has reccomended to help deal with issues that can cause lack of sleep, such as stress.

Carl's Pharmacy strongly suggests that you speak to your health professional before adding new supplements to your diet.

Relora - This is Natasha Turner's top choice for patients who tend to wake up throughout the night, especially for stressed individuals or menopausal women.

Passionflower - According to Natasha, passionflower is the herb of choice for insomnia. It helps to transition one into a restful sleep, without the typical drowsiness followed the morning after.

Phosphatidylserine - Phosphatidylserine is ideal for the person that spends their night worrying; it helps to influence the inappropriate release of stress hormones and also proctects the brain from the negative effects of cortisol.

GABA - A calming brain chemical, specifically idead for individuals who experience anxiety, muscle tension or pain.

Melatonin Melatonin decreases in the body over time, and also during periods of time of stress and depression.

5 HTP Found especially to be effective in sleep loss related to depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia. Helps to decrease the amount of time required to fall asleep and the number of night time awakenings.

3. The Darker the Better

When light hits your skin, it disrupts the productin of melatonin, a hormone essential to healthy sleep patterns and that also helps to reduce the negative effects of coristol. Even a small amount of light anywhere on your skin decreases melatonin levels.

According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, exposure to electrical light between dusk and bedtime strongly supresses melatonin levels. Results showed exposure to room light before bedtime shortened melatonin duration by about 90 minutes when compared to dim light exposure. Furthermore, exposure to room light during the usual hours of sleep suppressed melatonin by greater than 50 percent. It is vital to that you sleep in total darkness.

4. Keep It Light and Loose

Wearing tight-fitting clothing at bedtime - even your bra or underwear - appears to raise your body temperature and has been proved to reduce the secretion of melatonin and growth hormone. Your body should cool off while you sleep. Turner reccomends avoiding heavy blankets.

5. Exercise Early in the Day

Regular exercise can help improve sleep patterns, but only if it is done early enough in the day. A late-night workout - especially a cardio session - raises body temperature significantly, preventing the release of melatonin. Exercise also stimulates brain activity, which can also interfere with your ability to sleep.

Adapted from: Yahoo! Shine, "Five ways to boost sleep's fat burning effects"
By. Dr. Natasha Turner ND | Chatelaine - Thu, 23 Jun, 2011 12:00 AM EDT