Chances are that a majority of people in the United States are concerned about how much they weigh. For those who are not happy with their weight, there are an unlimited amount of resources that can be found online. The range of services include diet programs, supplement intervention, and workout regiments; amongst other viable alternatives. These types of weight loss strategies do work for most people. However, what if the problem is deeper than simply calories in and calories out?

 Are you sticking to a workout regime but not seeing the results you want? Are there other problems that you suffer from as well, besides just losing weight? Many people fail to realize that there are other important aspects to the human body that can effect weight loss. In this case, I'd like to talk about sleep. 

Sleeping allows our bodies to rest and recover. Vital hormones replenish, Cortisol ( the stress hormone ) levels are reduced, and your muscles relax and repair themselves. If there is an underlying issue effecting your sleep, you will not be functioning on the level your body is supposed to be. If you feel as though you suffer with sleep conditions, I would recommend reaching out to your doctor for a professional analysis. If you find that you suffer from any of these problems below, you may even want to consider talking to your doctor about sleep apnea.

• Sleep: excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, nightmares, sleep deprivation, or snoring
• Respiratory: episodes of no breathing, breathing through the mouth, or loud breathing
• Also common: depression, dry mouth, dry throat, fatigue, headache, irritability, mood swings, or weight gain

If you have Sleep Apnea, there is a possibility the reason you are not able to lose weight is due to poor sleep caused by the apneas throughout the night. It is common for overweight individuals to suffer from sleep apnea; however, not all diagnosed sleep apnea patients are overweight. While sleep apnea is a very real problem that can effect sleep, there are some other factors that are not necessarily a condition or diagnosis, but more or less your routine associated with sleep.

Think about it, most people have a morning routine and do not even realize it. They may eat breakfast or read the news. Either way, they are  performing a task to start the day. Well, what about a routine to follow when it comes to sleeping? Have you ever tried keeping to a routine in order to allow your body to unwind before bed? Today's world moves very quickly. We are stimulated constantly throughout the day with our phones. Removing phone time 2 hours before bed may help you relax. If you like the idea of reading before bed, a good book is also a great replacement for a phone. Televisions and phones both produce blue light which has been said to cause our brains to block "go to sleep" chemicals signaled by our circadian rhythm, our bodies internal clock. By avoiding screens, you may find that you fall asleep a lot faster. Alternatively, you could try using a pair of blue light blocker glasses. Most people say that they do help, however there are some who do not believe blue light blockers helped them much if any. If you practice removing these stimuli, but still find that your mind just won't stop, it may be worth exploring meditational practices. There are many resources available that are absolutely free going over the process of meditation. A meditation can be completed in 10 minutes or less. It is a quick healthy free way of signaling your body to relax and release the tensions of the day. I'll leave a link explaining how to meditate below. If you haven't tried it yet, build a sleep routine for yourself. It may very well help you get better sleep quality. Sometimes prayer and/or meditation is the total cure.

A simple guide for Meditating: https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/

The last topic to touch upon is your mental health. Modern life for most people in the United States contains different types of challenges and stressors. People may undergo trauma from childhood or even as adults. Unpredicted catastrophic events can leave us in dire times without any time to prepare. These traumas no matter how big or small, may take shape in the way we perceive the world around us and how we go about our lives day to day. Managing all these thoughts in your head is not easy nor is it the way we should handle our problems. A strong group of supportive individuals or licensed professionals to share your thoughts with is a great way to let go of some of the weight we all carry. Finding peace with ourselves and others allows us to live a life of content. On the contrary, sometimes we may find ourselves in a rut. Perhaps, you have been lazier than usual or just simply not as motivated to go about your day. Having goals, short term and long term, is good practice for maintaining a healthy mental state. There is always room to move forward day by day. If you suffer from any type of mental health issue, it can most definitely effect all aspects of your life, including sleep. Be sure to take care of yourself and know that its okay to need help.

Watch Chris discuss some of the issues addressed in this blog. He goes into more detail and shares his own experience:

This concludes todays blog where I strongly recommend good sleep in order to ensure your weight loss journey is as effective as it can possibly be. Such a simple question has lead to many possible answers; but in the end, I hope that you having a better understanding of sleep and how important it is to weight management and a healthy long life.