Sleep on It

Are you getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night? If not you could be setting yourself up for failure in your quit plan.

A study done by the Annals of Internal Medicine linked lack of sleep to weight gain. People in the study who slept an average of eight and a half hours lost 55 percent more weight than those that slept an average of just five and a half hours. Another study indirectly linked sleep deprivation to an increased risk of heart disease.

While both of these studies are not directly linked to smoking, it shows a suggested decrease in inhibitions, and an increase in stress. We know that when we don’t get enough sleep, whatever amount of sleep that is best for your body, we tend to be more emotional and run down. For most of us this is eight hours of sleep every night. Out of habit, we may only get 6 hours and feel “just fine” without realizing the health implications flying just under the radar.

Talk to your doctor about what they recommend as far as your sleep is concerned. With their OK, try going to bed eight hours before you need to get up in the morning. If you do this for a week or to, you may find yourself less stressed and better equipped to handle cravings. You may also gain other health benefits as well, including slowing or eliminating the weight gain that often accompanies quitting.