Here's an item of interest for all those overweight poor sleepers.
You might be doing things the wrong way round!
At a recent seminar for sleep technicians at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney Australia I was surprised to be informed that sleep apnea may cause obesity. Like many others, I always believed that obesity may be the cause of obstructive sleep apnea so I was quite surprised to find out it is thought to be the other way round.
Not that long ago I had a client inform me that he was trying to tackle the problem the other way around. Being obese and troubled by sleep apnea he couldn't find the energy to exercise. He tried for many years to lose weight but only got into a "yo-yo" rhythm and didn't really achieve anything. He was determined that this time it would be different.
Firstly he resolved his sleep apnea issue and was then able to rise in the morning feeling fresh and "full of beans" ready for a 4 kilometre power-walk. He did this at least 3-4 times a week. He also developed healthier eating habits by eating smaller quantities earlier in the day and less or nothing at least 5 hours before retiring for the evening. He was going to leave behind the general public's belief that in reducing body weight the sleep apnea would also disappear.
It is thought that people that suffer from sleep disturbances also often suffer from poor eating habits, irregular sleeping patterns and have less that 5 hours sleep per night. They also eat more hence often carrying additional unnecessary kilos. Tests have shown that your body is burning calories up to 22 hours after exercising, even while you sleep.
To break the cycle you may tackle it the other way around this time and try:
- getting a good, regular sleep first and waking up rested and ready for the new day
- some exercise 3-4 times a week
- eating healthier, a more reasonable quantity and perhaps nothing 4-5 hours prior to going to sleep
- drinking a lot of water during the day
However if you already have obstructive sleep apnea you may need to address this first and obtain the necessary information for successful treatment. You may go to my articles archive for suggestions and alternatives.
To find out more on this topic follow the link by clicking here
Cheers Ben Bosshard
