Want to Lose Weight? Get Some Sleep!

Recently, scientific studies have shown a correlation between sleep and weight loss. To sum it up, scientists have found that improving the quality and length of your sleep can actually help you to lose weight by regulating your hormones. That's right: burning the midnight oil can keep you from burning calories. People who are deprived of sleep suffer from a hormonal imbalance that increases hunger, while decreasing the levels of the hormone that suppresses appetite.

I'm no scientist, but I have experienced the too-little-sleep/can't-lose-weight- no-matter-what phenomenon. I've also noticed that I eat so much more when I'm tired, as if my body -realizing that it can't get rest- tries to get more energy from food. That's when something that feels like hunger is really your body telling you something else completely.

If you've decided that 2009 is the year for making peace with your body, do yourself a favor: Read about how improving your sleep can promote weight loss and get your rest! Also, join us in continuing our health goals at State Farms' 50 Million Pound Challenge: