Lose weight while you sleep!  That sounds like a late-night infomercial for a miracle pill.  Too bad those things never work.  However, there is a definite connection between how much you sleep and how much you eat.  The amount — and the quality — of your nightly sleep can make a difference in your overall health, including your weight.

It has to do with the dynamic hormone duo — ghrelin and leptin.  Ghrelin is the hunger hormone that tells your body to eat.  Leptin is the fullness hormone that says, “Enough already. Quit eating.”

According to a number of studies, people who sleep fewer hours, or have sleep disturbances like sleep apnea, produce more ghrelin and less leptin.  So they are hungrier and feel less satisfied when they eat.  That’s a good prescription for weight gain.

So, if you are one who tends to stay up too late , perhaps an effort to hit the sack earlier might help you along on your journey to a healthier weight.

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown