1. COPYRIGHT © 2009
TERRY SHINTANI, MD, JD,
MPH, KSJ
Lose Weight
While You
Sleep™

2. YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR BODY
BURN MORE CALORIES WHILE AT
REST
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3. Look around you on your morning commute. Do you
notice how many people are trying to catch a little extra
sleep? (Hopefully you‟re commuting by train or bus,
rather than car when you see this). Many of us choose
to make do with fewer sleeping hours because we want
to be more productive.
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4. Do you think of sleep as a waste of your valuable time?
Well consider this: a good night‟s sleep (8 hours for
most people) may actually save you time… ALL DAY
LONG! When your mind and body get the rest they
need, you have more energy and can think more clearly
than when you are tired. By the same token, your body
is more productive, too…especially when it comes to
metabolizing your food.
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5. When your body has had a chance to refresh, renew,
and repair itself over night, all the processes that
contribute to healthy weight are able to function better.
Keep in mind that the choice to get a good night‟s sleep
each night is just as important as the choices you make
in eating and exercising to achieve your weight loss
goals.
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6. WARNING!
Don‟t turn into a hibernating bear. Too much sleep can
be just as unhealthy as too little sleep and can be a
symptom of depression or another underlying problem.
You also should avoid oversleeping to make up for a
poor night‟s sleep. Doing that for even a couple of days
can reset your body clock and interrupt the sleep habit
you‟re trying to establish.
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7. YOU’RE GETTING TO BE A HABIT WITH ME
Establishing good sleeping habits is the key to
getting a good night‟s sleep. Believe it or not, you
can actually train yourself to fall asleep quickly
every night, or you can get into the bad habit of
lying in bed for a long time, tossing and turning and
worrying.
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8. Some people have chronic sleep problems. Others (and
I‟m one of them) just sometimes have trouble falling
asleep because they‟re worried or stressed out. How
about you?
 Do you have trouble falling asleep?
 Do you fall asleep easily, then wake up 5 hours later and
can't fall back asleep?
 Do you wake up several times during the night and have
trouble staying asleep?
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9.  All of these disruptions affect your weight loss abilities.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to “take
back the night” and get the sleep you need.
 First, do your best to keep a regular schedule. As much
as possible, go to bed and wake up at the same time
everyday, even on the weekends. As you make this a
habit, your body will start to expect sleep at the same
time each day and automatically get into „sleepy mode‟
when the time is right.
 Now that you‟ve woken up to the importance of a good
night‟s sleep, you‟ll want to do everything you can to
ensure that you get your sleep RDA with the following:
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10. 9 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET A GOOD
NIGHT’S SLEEP
 Do not nap during the day. Napping during the day will
throw off your body clock and make it even more
difficult to sleep at night. If you feel as if you absolutely
must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes,
early in the day.
 Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it
difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
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11.  Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after
awakening. This will help to regulate your body's
natural biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your
bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light
will not interfere with your rest.
 Exercise early in the day. 20-30 minutes of exercise
every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in
the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body
and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling
asleep more difficult.
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12.  Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music,
sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it's
time to slow down and begin to prepare for sleep.
Relax for a while before going to bed. Spending quiet
time can make falling asleep easier. This may include
meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or
taking a warm bath.
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13.  Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery
programs. If you‟re worried about something, you mind
will want to stay active until the problem is solved.
Recordings can help move you out of stress and into
the „zone‟ where you need to be for sleep.
 Write down your worries and possible solutions before
you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the
middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very
helpful in letting you put away these concerns until the
next day when you are fresh.
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14.  Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired,
go to bed. If you‟re in love with latenight television,
record your favorite shows to watch at a more
reasonable hour.
 Avoid OTC (over-the-counter) sleep aids, and make sure
that your prescribed medications do not cause
insomnia. People who rely too heavily on sleep
medications find that they suffer a rebound effect and
begin to have trouble sleeping.
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15. NEED MORE INFO?
Go to:
www.webhealthforyou.com
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