Men's Health - UK (2019-07)

(Antfer) #1

MEN’S HEALTH 17


A


02
SLEEP
SCHEDULE

01
MAGIC
SLUMBER

WO


RD


S:
LO


UE
E^ D


ES


SE
NT



  • J
    AC
    KS


ON


|^ P


HO


TO
GR


AP


HY
:^ J


OB


E^ L


AW


RE


NS


ON


*U

K^ S

LE
EP

CO

UN

CI
L^ |
**

JO
UR

NA

L^ O

F^ E

XP

ER

IM
EN

TA
L^ P

SY
CH

OL
OG

Y^

TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF


YOUR MIND TONIGHT


WEIGHT-LOSS


NEWSFEED


07/19 CAP OFF YOUR FAT-LOSS
EFFORTS WITH A NIGHT
OF HEAVY SLEEP

H


ere’s a wake-up call to
those looking to shape up
before summer: cutting
carbs is not the surest
route to weight loss. According to
a review by the University of Chicago,
calorie-restrictive diets are only
effective for reducing fat mass on the
back of eight hours’ quality shut-eye.
Increasing your sleep time by just one
hour per night was seen to shed 3%
more body fat. Meanwhile, those
wearing their measly five hours’ rest
as a badge of hard-working honour
are likely to put on weight twice as
fast. No amount of dieting, HIIT or
fasted cardio will make up for that.
We know what you’re thinking:
more sleep is good? Yawn. But take
a closer look at the science and you’ll

CLOCK OFF EARLY
You can’t flick an off switch,
but good sleep practice will
help your body power down

10PM: SNOOZE HOUND
If your dog is pawing at
your bedroom door, let it
in. Contact with your pet acts as
a comfort blanket and can help
you to drift off sooner, according
to the Mayo Clinic.

9.30PM: BY THE BOOK
A Sussex University
study showed that
reading a novel for just
six minutes can reduce stress
by 60%, slow your heartbeat
and ease muscle tension.

9PM: ACTION PLAN
Jot down a to-do list for
the following day. This
will let you mentally
offload your responsibilities and
help to prevent work anxieties
from sabotaging your sleep**.

8.30PM: BREEZY DOES IT
Turn on a fan or crack
a window to let cool
air circulate in your
bedroom. The ideal sleeping
temperature is lower than you
think: between 16°C and 18°C*.

Losing sleep over your waistline puts your
fat-burning ability on snooze. Clock eight
hours and lean down with your eyes closed

see why prioritising your Zs is such
an effective route to fat loss. Put
simply, sleep is instrumental in
controlling your appetite. One study
by French scientists found that a
sleep deficit causes you to consume,
on average, an extra 560kcal per day.
That’s enough to make you put on
1kg of fat in a fortnight. Sleep also
affects the way in which those
calories are stored. If you reduce
your calorie intake after a solid kip,
you’ll mostly shed body fat; if you
reduce it after you’ve had little rest,
you’ll sacrifice lean body mass.
So, here’s a clear prescription
for your weight-loss ambitions:
take your sleep seriously, or you’ll
hit snooze on your progress. Use our
tips (right) and start this evening.
Free download pdf