Okay, in my quest to try to conquer my bad habits that have contributed to my weight gain, I have come across a lot of research that supports the conclusion that a lack of sleep can be a real issue. I know I am guilty of not sleeping enough, and that I seem to get worse about it as time goes by....okay...I'm lousy about this. I know how often I have told my kids they need to sleep for their bodies to work right...yet, here I remain a sleep deprived hypocrite. I am really going to try to tackle this one. (Which won't be easy...so many demands, so little time.)

Just curious...Is anyone else guilty of this one too?

And on that note...oh, look at the time. Guess I should start getting ready for bed.

I have the opposite problem... i sleep TOO MUCH! I have depression and my medicine doesn't work as well as it use to. I am not functional if I don't get at least 10 hours of sleep. Also I'm home all the time so I nap a lot. I am out of work on medical leave and have no reason to go to bed early or get up early either. I'm not sure if too much sleep hurts weight loss or not but I know it's not good to eat and then lay down within a half hour and it usually ends up that way for me... I'm trying to break this habit but after gall bladder surgery (removal) when I eat I get physically ill and need to lay down because I get terrible stomach pains and feel like I'm going to throw up. Doc said it will go away but it's been 7 months... no improvement yet... oh well Still holding on to hope

I sleep on average for 8-9 hrs nightly. On weekends a little more. I'm a night owl so I often have to force myself to go to bed at a decent time. I do have trouble falling asleep though- I toss and turn for about 45 mins, thank God my boyfriend is so patient and laid back.

On that note, g'night

For me, it varies depending on what life throws at me. Anywhere from 6-9 hours. I'm sure I should be sleeping more. Last night, for example, I went to bed around 11:30, and woke up at 5:30 to go to the bathroom. Knowing that my son had to be up and out early and that I really only had an hour more to sleep, I spent that last hour dozing off and on (not really sleeping deeply). I was up at 6:30, feeling droopy. If I'm lucky, I'll catch a quick snooze after lunch for 20 min. or so. Does the study say the sleep has to be in one session? Do naps count?

hopefuldreamer

I'm pretty consistent about being in bed for about 8 hours. But then it depends on how active my mind is and how much I'm worried about anything. Then, I might lay there for awhile. Also, if I wake up early, I find it very difficult to get back to sleep. I just try to make it a habit to go to bed around the same time every night... right after the news, weather and sports!

5-6 hours a night, tops, even on the weekends. I find that on the very rare occasions I sleep 7 hours, I feel awful, very sluggish, and I'll have dark circles under my eyes. I almost never nap during the day unless I'm sick (I work full time, so it's not like I even have the opportunity to nap!). I usually have no trouble falling asleep or waking up (I beat the clock radio pretty much every morning). I think in theory I could use more sleep...6 hours does seem skimpy.

I'm the same as letsgomets; It takes me about an hour and a half to stop tossing and turning, and I wake up several times throughout the night. I've had dark circles since I was a kid. On really rough nights, I break down and take maybe a 1/4 or rozerum (sleeping pill). Never had any side effects, and since I take such little amounts and so rarely (maybe once every 2 weeks) I think it's okay. My Dr. says it's not nearly as addictive as the other sleeping pills, if at all.

I used to be terrible about getting up in the morning. I could sleep until 10, 11, or worse, even if I went to bed early. Made me feel like crap the rest of the day, but couldn't drag myself out of bed. Sometimes gives me migraines too. And back pain. Too much sleep.

I was pretty surprised a while back when I realized I'm only getting about 7 hours now, and feeling great with it. I get up at 5:15. Always. This takes a little discipline (less and less as time goes on), but is sooooooo worth it. Then I go to bed when I feel like it. Once in a while that's around 9:15, so I know my body will tell me when I need to catch up. Usually it's around 10, maybe 9:45, maybe 10:30. And I've been sleeping better during the night.

On weekends I still get up early, but I don't set an alarm. If I got up as soon as I woke up I'd still be up very early. But I give myself a *little* leeway, and I'm usually up around 6:30. That honest-to-goodness feels like sleeping in now. I need to move that a little earlier.

I'm really surprised that I need less sleep now. But I *do* need the sleep that I get. I really feel like it's just as important as eating well and being active.

Not enough!About 5 hours or less.

My 17 year old son is home for the summer. What's sleep???

This is a great question.

I'm a teacher, so in the summer, I go to bed later, but still get up pretty early. Not because I need to really, but because I wake up and I'm ready to get up. But, the stress levels are lower and the days are relaxed, so I can deal with life on less sleep.

However, during the school year, which is coming up soon.... Depending on the day... I find I need between 7.5-8.5 hours. It almost isn't even a matter of choice. It's just exhausting work for me. I get up every day at 5:30. Some nights, it's all I can do to take care of my family and the things that need doing so I can go to bed. I can occasionally watch a 9 pm television program, but I'm usually fast asleep before 10.

I do know when I try to deal with less sleep, everything suffers.

Best wishes with trying to get more k8t and everyone else, too.

Is there a connection between sleep and losing weight?

I sleep 7 - 9 hours a night; I can't function on any less than 7 hours of sleep, so that is the minimum.

teecee~ There have been many studies that claim that people who get 5hrs or less sleep a night generally weight more than those that get 7-8hrs a night.

I know for me i sleep 7-10hrs a night. I know 10 hours is a bit much, but i hate mornings and if i dont get at least 8 hrs i am horribly tired and crabby all day. Takes me atleast an hour to fall asleep even if i am dead tired too

ETA~ just wanted to note that im not a 40 something, but i wanted to chime in too

How much? Not enough.

It also depends what time of the month it is. I know my hormones affect my sleep. Some nights I have to get up and go in another room as I am tossing and turning.

I have a 16 year old and I will not go to bed if she is not home. With school starting next week her curfew will be much earlier.

Then there is the nights I have to get up to the loo and if I'm too warm forget it.

So I'd say if I get 6 hours straight I would say it was a good night sleep.