Sleeping better may help with your weight loss goals by keeping your hunger vs. fullness hormones in balance. Besides that, avoiding being over-tired can help you also avoid over-eating and binging. Not to mention that you won’t be in the refrigerator getting a late-night snack if you are peacefully snoozing.

So how do you get better sleep? Try working out early rather late.  One recent study of overweight women between the ages of 50 and 75 showed that the subjects who exercised for an hour in the mornings got better sleep than those who exercised the same amount of time but later in the day.

You can also do the obvious, like avoid caffeine late in the day.  Eating a lighter meal in the evening and not eating late at night also make for easier sleep, according to the experts.

Try a relaxing routine before bed — a bubble bath, soothing music, a good book.  Just make it a comfortable book, not an engrossing murder mystery.  (How many times I have stayed up to find out whodunit!)

Don’t start reviewing all the things that are bothering you.  Tell yourself you are getting a mini-vacation from your troubles, at least until morning.  After all, you can deal with things better if you are rested.  Leave your difficulties in God’s hands.  He is able to take care of them!

If you are still tired after getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, it’s time for a check up.  There may be other issues, like sleep apnea, going on.

Sleep is an important part of your health.  Don’t try to do without it!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown