With almost two thirds of Australian adults overweight and many reporting less hours of sleep, part of the obesity epidemic could be pointed to our bedroom activities, or lack thereof.

Getting a good night sleep is important for the mental side of things such as mood, memory, and emotions, as well as for the essential physical repair and rest. It also turns out that sleep seems to play an important role when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.

There are two reasons for this:

1. The affect poor sleep has on our disposable time
2. The affect poor sleep has on hormones

As far as quantity goes, most people need around 7 to 8 hours sleep. Some people need less and some need more depending on age, health levels, and daily activities. The quality of sleep is where you are able to get the hours you need whilst getting into the deeper stages, particularly the dreamy state of REM (rapid eye movement).

One of the problems with people who are sleeping less hours is the fact they have more time to eat. More time to eat means more meals which generally results in more energy coming in.

Logic tells us that having more time in the day means more time to be active as well. However this doesn't appear to be the case. In fact it appears to be the opposite – people who get less sleep and/or less quality sleep tend to be more fatigued resulting in increased lethargy and less motivation to exercise and be active.

Poor sleep has also been shown to affect hormones that are linked to appetite and hunger. These hormones (leptin and ghrelin) work in a kind of 'checks and balances' system to control feelings of hunger and fullness.

When you don't get enough sleep it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food.

Now most people would say the solution is simple, lets sort out the hormones and we can cure the obesity epidemic! As with most things in life it's not that simple, there is still a lot medical science doesn't know about the roles of these hormones and there are many other factors involved when it comes to weight gain.

At the end of the day if we can ensure we have adequate good quality sleep, it appears we are giving ourselves an even playing field to keep a healthy weight.

There are four ways to ensure you get good quality and quantity of sleep. Like anything in lifestyle there is no one key, rather a number of barrels to line up in the combination.

Sleep environment: cool, dark, quiet room; hum of a fan to mask outside noise; quality mattress; keep a note pad handy for thoughts and worries.

Your sleep routine: regular schedule; shower or bath before bed; manage social time; eat a few hours before bed time.

What you eat and drink: stock the shelves with healthy snacks; avoid caffeine 4 hours before sleep; avoid excessive alcohol; limit fluid just before sleep; don't rely on sleeping tablets.

Learn to relax: have at least 30min quiet time before going to bed; develop and practice a relaxation skill like meditation or progressive muscular relaxation.

For more information on diet and nutrition go to www.lifestylemedicine.net.au.

Provided by