TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 24, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- You're doing everything right—you're planning healthy meals, you're cooking and eating the right foods, you're eating at regular intervals throughout the day, you're exercising regularly, you're working on emotional eating—but you still want to empty a bag of cookies into your mouth.
The problem may not be what you're putting on your plate; believe it or not, it may be how much time you're not putting your head on a pillow. Sleep is as important to your body as breathing and when you don't get enough it can have far-reaching psychological and physical effects, including weight gain.
Here's a list of tips, excerpted from the upcoming e-book from Satisfaction Solutions Press, But I'm Hungry! The book, which includes recipes, meal and tons of practical weight-loss tips, will launch on September 15. Advance sales available at www.butimhungry.net.
Stick with your daily exercise routine. As long as you're not exercising in the few hours before going to sleep, the activity should help you sleep better.
Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake. Drinking caffeine can affect your sleep for up to 12 hours, so try to limit your coffee, tea and sodas to earlier in the day. And while alcohol may make you drowsy and fall asleep, your sleep will be disrupted as your body metabolizes the drinks.
Finish dinner two to three hours before bed. Your body's core temperature falls when it's time to go to sleep, but food digestion causes your core temperature to go up. That means it's hard to fall asleep if you've eaten too close to bedtime.
Stay on a regular sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including on weekends. When your schedule changes it can disrupt your circadian rhythm, which influences sleeping and waking.
Start a healthy pre-bed ritual. Prime your body for sleep by lowering the lights, turning off the television and computer and spending 30 to 60 minutes before bed in a dim environment as you prepare for bed. What not to do: get yourself fired up by watching the news, reading about politics or watching an action movie.
Put away distractions. You're already turning off the television and computer in the hours before bed. Now it's also time to put away your Kindle and cell phone.
Turn down the thermostat. Your body is programmed to go to sleep when it's chilly and wake up when it's warm, so setting your room temperature to between 68 and 70 degrees at night will keep you comfortable under the covers.
Climb into bed in darkness. Even small amounts of light can decrease your melatonin level, which regulates your sleep.
Avoid naps. Napping during the day can cause trouble sleeping at night. If you must nap, don't sleep more than 45 minutes.
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