By Dr. Beverly Yates, Founder PCOS Weight Loss

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In this discussion you’ll discover how the lack of sleep can lead to PCOS weight gain and learn how to get a better night’s sleep…

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Having trouble losing weight? The problem may stem from sleep issues, especially for women with PCOS.

How Poor Sleep Leads to Weight Gain

Poor sleep is a problem especially for women, because men generally have fewer problems with sleep. Women are more likely to have problems with insomnia and typically have a harder time losing weight. Unless you straighten out your sleep problems, you will not see weight-loss success.

The body needs sleep to repair itself. Without it, routine maintenance gets deferred. This impacts digestion, joint pain, muscle aches, mental fatigue, mood and short-term memory.

Women, whether or not they have PCOS, have sleep issues for various reasons: stress, menstrual cycles, or irregular sleep cycles. Some women struggle for hours before they can fall asleep. For PCOS sufferers, they may have trouble getting to sleep and also, if they wake up, getting back to sleep. Typically, those who only have trouble getting to sleep see more modest weight gain, while those who wake up multiple times, and have trouble getting back to sleep, have more severe weight gain.

Many women report that the later they stay up, the more they crave foods, especially sweets. That sort of carb binging, especially after 10 p.m., turbocharges weight gain.

How Poor Sleep Causes Food Cravings

Staying up late leads to cravings for starchy foods, because your metabolism starts to send messages that it’s time to eat again. In the late-night hours, our bodies crave starchy foods because they contain carbohydrates, which are a fast source of energy and boost blood sugar fast.

Those who eat calories late in the day, especially women with PCOS, will discover those calories are stored as fat, because they’re simply not being burned off with activity. At night, when your body expects to be resting, your metabolism is at its most inefficient.

The good news is that if you go to sleep at a regular time and get eight hours of sleep, these cravings usually disappear. Remember this the next time you consider staying up to get “one more thing done.” Go to bed on time. Your health and weight-loss success depend on it.

How Sleep Problems Affect Your Metabolism

Every time you get a good night’s sleep, your body resets. You feel energized and ready to take on the world.

When you get a lousy night’s sleep, your metabolism is sluggish. Gradually, especially for those with PCOS, your body becomes more efficient at storing calories as fat rather than burning calories for fuel.

Those with erratic bedtimes confuse their internal clock, which leads to a slower metabolism. The body no longer knows when to expect to be active and to need to burn calories, so it settles on a slower metabolism, which leads to weight gain. So if you are doing everything else right and your sleep is a disaster, it will sabotage your weight loss.

How Fast the Effects of Better Sleep Habits Start to Show

Typically, once better sleep habits are established, the weight gain stops. Then, after three to four weeks of going to sleep at a regular time and getting a full rest every night, you’ll see your late-night cravings disappearing. Finally, most women will see their weight slowly start to go down. While it’s natural to want weight loss to be quick, it’s important to remember that you didn’t put the weight on overnight, and it isn’t reasonable to expect it to melt away immediately.

Instead, have patience, put together the right foundations — such as incorporating regular exercise and eating the majority of calories earlier in the day — and then you should see a reliable pattern of weight loss.

For more on how sleep affects PCOS in depth, including supplements that may help, check out The Ultimate PCOS Weight Loss Herbs and Supplements Guide, at www.PCOSWeightLossTips.com.

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PDF Summary

Dr. Beverly Yates is an expert on weight loss and women’s health including PCOS Weight loss. She has over two decades of clinical experience, and she uses her problem solving skills to help other women solve their weight loss problems. For more FREE PCOS Weight Loss Tips and Secrets, and to buy the Ultimate PCOS Weight Loss Herbs and Supplements Guide, check out http://www.PCOSWeightLossTips.com.

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