Lose extra pounds lying down

A hectic, modern lifestyle is custom-made for making it hard to keep off extra pounds. The constant stress of modern life messes with your hormones and natural rhythms, making it very difficult for your metabolism to fire up and shed excess fat.

But there may be a way to make weight-loss easier. And you don’t even have to stand up.

Here’s what to do: Lie down in your bed, go to sleep … and stay asleep for an extra 30 minutes a night. That’s it.

According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego, most of us go to bed too late and wake up too early. This disrupts our metabolism in ways that make us more likely to add extra pounds and more body fat. It also leaves us more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes.

“While previous studies have shown that short sleep duration is associated with obesity and diabetes, we found that as little as 30 minutes a day sleep debt can have significant effects on obesity and insulin resistance at follow up,” says researcher Shahrad Taheri, a professor of medicine. “This reinforces earlier observations that sleep loss is additive and can have metabolic consequences.”

Taheri says that we devote so much time during the week to work and social activities that we frequently build up sleep debt that we try to compensate for on weekends. However, even with extra sleep on Saturdays and Sundays, a continual cutback on weekday sleep leads to metabolic disturbances related to diabetes.

“Sleep loss is widespread in modern society, but only in the last decade have we realized its metabolic consequences,” Taheri says. “Our findings suggest that avoiding sleep debt could have positive benefits for waistlines and metabolism and that incorporating sleep into lifestyle interventions for weight loss and diabetes might improve their success.”

The year-long research showed that for the more than 500 people in the study, losing just 30 minutes of sleep a night over a year’s period increased their chances of obesity by 17 percent and insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes) by 39 percent.

I know getting more sleep is easier said than done. However, here’s one thing you can do to get to sleep faster, and stay asleep longer.

Sleep in complete darkness.

You might think you already do, but light makes the pineal gland in the brain signal you that it’s time to be awake. And a light that looks dim when you go to bed can be enough light to see in the middle of the night, which means it’s too bright for sleeping.

Before you go to bed tonight, take a look around your room and see how many electronic devices have little red or blue standby lights on. You might be surprised. Either cover them or unplug them, including your clock-radio if you have one.

Also, your window coverings should completely cover and darken the openings in your bedroom so that not only the morning light, but street lights and even the moonlight don’t trick your brain into thinking you should be awake before it’s time.