Can anyone give me tips on getting more sleep? I don't know if not sleeping enough is affecting my weight loss (I've felt like this whole WL journey has been super slow). Even if the lack of sleep isn't affecting WL, it's killing me in other ways. My body clock seems to be set at certain times. I can't go to sleep until about 12:55 a.m. every night and wake up at 7 a.m. Even if I have absolutely nothing to do that day. Help!!!

I LOVE my sleep. I feel awful if I can't get at least 8 hours in. So that would majorly bother me, and yes, it does effect your weight loss. Because your body isn't recharging, you're not burning as much. Though there are plenty of people who only need 6 hours of sleep at night. (Psychos! )

Try slowly going to sleep earlier. Say, 12:30 instead of 12:55. And make sure you aren't doing anything that will key your brain or body up before bed. There are tons of tips for relaxing before bed- take a bath, drink milk, read a book, watch TV. Whatever works for you, but try building in a "wind down" time before you attempt to go to sleep.

It sounds like you might be anxious or nervous about something. Do you know what it is?

Keeps the lights low at night - bright lights will keep your body from producing melatonin which helps you sleep. You can also take melatonin as a sleep aid. It is not a sleeping pill but it does help stimulate sleepiness.

I take melatonin. Just 500 mcg (half a gram) about an hour before I want to go to sleep, and it works like a charm. I get mine from Trader Joe's, it's about 5 bucks for a bottle of 100, and they're chewable.

what do you do in the evenings that keeps you awake so late?

I find reading helps me relax and unwind so I can go to sleep. I'll also drink a sleepy time tea (camomile) and overall try to relax so I can sleep when I need to go to bed earlier. Although the past few weeks I've been averaging 6.5hrs of sleep a night.

I agree with the melatonin, on those nights that I can't sleep (or if I know I have to get to bed early I take it, and within 20 mins or so I can't keep my eyes open).

Do you feel tired at all during the day? Because some people just don't need as much sleep as others. It is basically not about the time you spend in bed, but how efficient that time is - me, for example, I can easily sleep for 12 hours, because I wake up a thousand times during the night. If you get more than six hours of good, solid sleep, and feel refreshed and awake after that, it's fine. Don't fret about it.
(Obviously, if you feel tired and sleepy all day, you are not getting enough sleep, then follow the good advice already given by all the posters above.)
The amount of sleep we need is very individual, just like the amount of water we can drink and the amount of calories we need to take in to lose or maintain weight. If you feel happy with the sleep you get, count yourself lucky (I would be soooo happy to be able to sleep so little and still feel good) and stop worrying!

I'll have to look into this melatonin. No, I don't feel anxious or nervous about anything. I think my body has just gotten used to little sleep. When school was in, I would wake up at 7 to have my son ready for the bus. Then I'd stay up late after he went to bed to try to get in some work (I work from home and because he was in a half-day program, I only had a few uninterrupted hours to try to work).

I know I need more sleep. Last night while I was sleep I actually dreamed about sleeping. I've tried reading, watching boring TV shows, soaking in a warm bath, drinking warm tea and even just laying in bed. Nothing seems to work. Even on the very few nights I have been able to go to bed earlier, I wake up in the middle of the night, and then at 7, here I am waking up again. Ugh! Does melatonin have any side effects?

@Shyanara, unfortunately, yes, I do feel tired during the day. Even after a short nap (which usually doesn't last for more than an hour), I'm still tired. You'd think that would make it easier for me to go to bed earlier, but it hasn't.