Poor Sleep Quality, Weight Gain and PCOS

Many women who suffer from PCOS struggle with their weight but did you know that many of them also suffer from disturbed sleep patterns from hormonal fluctuations as well as sleep apnea? There’s a connection between lack of sleep, weight gain, and PCOS. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, subjects who were allowed only 4 hours of sleep for 2 consecutive nights showed an 18% reduction in leptin and 28% increase in ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone which alerts our brain when we are full or sated. Ghrelin triggers the hunger response. Therefore, lack of sleep is actually making you crave more food which may be contributing to your weight gain. Another study also showed lack of sleep causes altered glucose metabolism, including a decreased glucose tolerance as well as a decreased response to insulin. This could potentially lead to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome or PCOS.

Poor sleep quality can have a negative effect on your health. Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep you may want to take every measure to ensure a good nights rest, Here are some tips to help you get some more sleep.

Resist Naps If you absolutely must nap because you are exhausted, limit yourself to under an hour by setting an alarm. Also try not to nap after 3 PM. Not napping will ensure that you are extra sleepy at bed time.

Develop a Sleep Routine Even on weekends! Creating a regular rhythm to your sleep cycle will not only help you feel better, it will make falling asleep so much easier. Set a bed time and rise time for yourself.

Wind Down Before Bed, Avoid late exercise sessions Regular exercise is recommended to help you sleep better, but the timing of the workout is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere with sleep. By exercising too late, you may be releasing endorphins that stimulate.

Sleep only when sleepy. Tossing and turning in bed when you are restless can create insomnia stress, if you are feeling restless when laying in bed and can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and focus on something other than trying to fall asleep...Sit quietly in the dark meditating or focusing on your breath or listen to relaxing music. Keep contact with bright lights to a minimum, allowing light into your pupils sends cues to your brain that it is time to wake up thwarting your efforts of falling asleep.

Embrace sleep rituals. Cue your body that it is time to rest for the night. When it is time to slow down and sleep try listening to relaxing music, read something soothing for 15 minutes, have a cup of caffeine free tea.

Make your bed your sanctuary. Refrain from using your bed to watch TV, pay bills, work, read etc. By keeping your bed as your sleep sanctuary your body knows it is time to sleep when it is in bed.

Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol 6 hours before bedtime. Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants that may prevent you from getting to sleep. Coffee, tea, cola, chocolate and some prescription and non-prescription drugs contain caffeine. Cigarettes and some drugs contain nicotine. Alcohol may seem to help you sleep in the beginning as it slows brain activity, but you will likely wake several times during the night when the sugar in the alcohol converts to energy.

Don't go to bed hungry! Don't over eat before bedtime either. However if you are sleeping on an empty stomach it may interfere with your sleep pattern. Try a light snack containing dairy products or turkey as they both contain tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. A small protein snack helps to prevent a blood sugar drop during the night that can cause you to wake up.

Make sure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable. Sleeping in a hot room can be difficult. Try making your bed chamber a cool place, have enough blankets at your disposal to stay warm however. If light from a city or the morning sunshine is bothersome consider trying a blackout shade or wear a slumber mask. If noise bothers you, wear earplugs or get a "white noise" machine.