M
ost of us have
experienced nights
of inadequate sleep,
and know all too well
it makes us look tired.
Our skin becomes
sallow and pale, our eyes swell, dark
circles appear and our wrinkles deepen.
When we don’t sleep enough, our
bodies also release more of the stress
hormone cortisol, which breaks down
collagen, the protein in our skin that
helps give it that lovely firm appearance.63
Lack of sleep could also be the
culprit if you’re struggling to lose or
maintain your weight. A recent study with
more than 200 participants undergoing
a sleep-restricted week showed that sleep
deficiency is linked to weight gain.
After only a week, participants who
slept just four hours a night gained an
average of one kilo, compared to those
who slept as much as they wanted to.
Many similar studies have offered up the
same conclusion – that weight and sleep
are deeply intertwined.WHAT HAPPENS
IF WE DON’T GET
ENOUGH SLEEP?
CAN YOU CATCH
UP ON ZZZs?
MICRO HABITS
FOR GOOD SLEEP
LEPTIN
Everyone’s talking about leptin, also
known as the ‘appetite hormone’. When
leptin is working properly, it sends a signal
to the brain to say, ‘Hey buddy, no more
cake – you’re full now.’ We all need this
reminder to get us to put our forks down.
Unfortunately, the less sleep we have, the
less leptin we create. And when we don’t
have enough leptin, we don’t have that inner
voice telling us when we’ve had enough.INSULIN
Our fat storage hormone, insulin, can
become resistant when we aren’t getting
adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation also
increases production of cortisol, which can
make cells more resistant to insulin. Poor
sleep can also trigger changes to thyroid
hormones and testosterone, which can
lead to decreased insulin sensitivity and
higher blood glucose, which in turn leads
to weight issues.Can getting extra sleep on the weekend
help you catch up on what you missed
during the week? Perhaps. In a study of
more than 2000 participants, those who
slept longer on the weekend had a lower
body mass index (BMI) than those who
didn’t. In addition, it appears that the BMI
relationship was dose dependent – that
is, every extra hour of weekend sleep was
associated with lower body mass. So it’s
possible that you can catch up on sleep and
still maintain a healthy weight. However,
I think creating
good sleep habits
is really important- and is probably
the easiest routine
to stick to in the
long term. In my
clinical practice,
I see better results
with consistent
sleep rather than
‘banked’ sleep.
STAY HYDRATED
Hydrating all day long is important for your
bowels and skin, and
so you don’t confuse
thirst for hunger.
It also keeps you
energised and helps
you sleep. However, try
not to drink too much
after 6pm, so a full bladder
won’t disturb your sleep.This is an edited
extract from Eat,
Drink & Still Shrink
by Michele Chevalley
Hedge (Plum,
$34.99). Photography
by Cath Muscat.RESTRUCTURE
YOUR BEDTIME
Start going to bed a little earlier every
night, but make this change slowly. If you
normally fall asleep at 11.30pm, don’t try
to get into bed tonight at 9pm. Gradually
move your bedtime earlier by 15 minutes
until you’re in bed by 10pm. If you know
you need more sleep than this (like me!),
try to eventually be in bed by 9.30pm.NO BLUE LIGHT
AFTER DINNER
No computer, no phone, no laptop – or
as little as possible, anyway (nobody’s
perfect). Make your bedroom a sanctuary:
keep it clean, tidy, cool and dark, and you’ll
find you sleep so much better.EAT GOOD ‘SLEEP FOOD’
Too much sugar creates ‘monkey chatter’
in our mind and leads to poor sleep. Keep
added sugar to a minimum, and eat protein
at each meal to keep hunger and sugar
cravings at bay. Protein also breaks down
to an amino acid called tryptophan, which
is the precursor to melatonin, the hormone
which promotes sleep.‘We all know
how much I value
sleep,’ says
ageless stunner
Cindy Crawford