The Sleep Report: Kate's Recap

When it comes to sleep, I'm definitely a work in progress. Even with the Change One Thing Challenge looming over me, telling me to hit the sack and log a solid amount of sleep, I'm still in the adaptation stages of regular seven or more slumbering hours. And I hate to admit it but I'll probably always fall into the sleep-deprived category. My downfalls: I like to write late-night, I'll have broken sleep patterns to drive my husband to work, I get up early for work or working out without planning to get to bed early, and sometimes it just takes too long for me to wind down.

But I did notice some positive changes--with the exception of Monday morning--when I did sleep more than usual. More energy, especially during a workout, less desire to snack throughout the day (yep, I'm a nibbler and get made fun of for it), and greater focus for the hours I spend on the computer. If only I could keep it up, as I'm assuming that if I raced on more sleep, I could have better performance, too.

While my reports were probably disappointing to read--my husband liked to tease me all week for missing the 8-hour mark--since I couldn't stick to the plan every day, I know I'm going to keep trying even without the challenge. After my mom admitted to trying the sleep study (the Today Show aired a clip on Monday that inspired her) to quell her midnight munchies, I want to compare stories with her. She's aiming for weight loss though--this latest study features women who lost weight by sticking to their daily routines, but upping the sleep to 7.5 hours and sticking to the same rise and shut-eye patterns. I'm a little miffed by some of the results because one woman admitted to sneaking into the kitchen for a middle-of-the-night snack. Of course that would pack on the pounds, not to mention interrupting the secretion of growth hormone which knows how to break down fat when sleeping, and eliminating it would be an instant calorie reduction. And another had more energy from more sleep and upped the intensity of her workouts. Oh well, if it keeps you active and out of the refrigerator, I'm all for it. Anyone else give it a shot? Photo grabbed from ddrccl at stock.xchng. Posted by Kate