Week #7 Bonus Challenge

ADEQUATE SLEEP!

As our lives get busier, the first thing to go is a good night's sleep. Adding daily exercise to your schedule has perhaps cut into that rest even more. But adequate sleep has a direct correlation with weight loss, and insufficient rest has been shown to cause weight gain. Who can dispute that sleep deprivation messes with our moods and cravings in a negative way? Were you aware that it also negatively affects hormones, appetite, and metabolism? If you're still not convinced, you can read some of the following articles to understand a little more of the research behind these assertions:

The Importance of Sleep for Weight Loss
Sleep Deprivation Tied to Weight Gain
Sleep May Be Factor in Weight Control
The Link Between Sleep and Weight Loss
Is Your Diet Being Sabotaged By Your Sleeping Habits?
Will Better Sleep Help You Avoid Extra Pounds?
Want to Lose Weight? Get Some Sleep
Video: Q&A with Dr. Manny--How Many Hours of Sleep Do We Need?

You may not agree with the claims, but if you want your bonus points this week, you have to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Each night that you get at least 7 hours of sleep, you get 5 bonus points for 35 possible bonus challenge points this week. I know I'm going to get all sorts of questions about what counts and what exceptions there are. I'll try to be brief but thorough:

1. Your sleep time must be at least 7 consecutive hours devoted entirely to sleeping.
2. Naps in the daytime do not make up for time missed sleeping at night.
3. If you have to get up to tend to a child, use the restroom, etc. in the night, you do not have to deduct that time from your sleeping time.
4. If you can't fall asleep or wake up before it's been seven hours, you don't have to deduct that time from your sleeping time as long as you are not doing "anything else" (see next sentence) to prevent you from sleeping. You may not read a book, turn on the television or the light, write in your journal, or do ANYTHING other than rest in your bed with the light off if you want it to count toward your sleep time.
5. I don't care if Sunday night or Monday night is the night that counts for Monday's bonus points, but make a choice and be consistent all week about which night you're using for each day's bonus points.

Hopefully I have covered any questions you have about what fits within the guidelines of the bonus challenge. I know some of you get by just fine on 5 or 6 hours. But I am going with the research here, and the studies say that 7 to 9 hours are best for most adults. This is going to require some serious planning for some people (like me). Give it a shot and see if getting enough sleep makes a difference for you.


Quotes of the Week:

"I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them." --John Stuart Mill

"Success is getting and achieving what you want. Happiness is wanting and being content with what you get." --Bernard Meltzer