Everyone knows the “normal” way to lose weight is exercising or dieting.  But what most people don’t know is that you can lose weight while you are sleeping.

Most people think that the longer you stay awake, the more calories you are burning, therefore you would be losing weight.  But that is not the case.  People who don’t sleep enough actually gain weight and keep more calories on.  The less you sleep, the more hormones your body works up and the more your body sets itself up for weight gain.  Less sleep equals less energy and the more hormones and less sleep you get, the more weight you will put on.

According to Dr. John Jakicic, the more you are awake, the more time you have to eat useless snacks that will put weight onto your body.  The people that sleep more at night aren’t slow and sluggish, unlike the people who don’t sleep enough at night.  People who are worn out don’t take the stairs or take the healthier route.  The people who do sleep at night and have energy are more likely to be healthier and less fat because they take the stairs and have the energy to do more exercising activities.  They will also be less motivated to go to the gym.

If you are properly rested, you will find that it is easier to lose weight than those who are not properly rested.  Sleeping will never take the place of exercise, but it will be easier to lose weight if you sleep better throughout the night.  Exercising properly and eating right is a major contribution to losing weight.

The quality of your rest is very important.  Not the number of hours that you get per night, but the goodness of the sleeping.

On Dr. Oz’s website, he states that “Calcium and magnesium are two of the best natural sleep aids available. Both of these essential minerals help maintain nervous system health and actually reduce anxiety and promote calm. A deficiency in magnesium has been shown to cause insomnia and restless leg syndrome. If you’re having trouble sleeping and aren’t already using these supplements, give them a try. Take 600mg calcium and 400 mg magnesium daily.”  With this advice, taking magnesium before bed will help with sleep, therefore helping with gaining more energy to exercise.