Lack of Sleep Means Pain, Weight Gain

Jan. 22, 2008 — -- "What happened to you last night? You look like hell."

You may be surprised when a friend greets you in this way on an early Monday morning after a busy weekend. Then again, considering your routine, it might come as no shock at all.

The latest news on the election, worries over stock market — and perhaps even your favorite realty show — might keep you up throughout the night, till midnight, 1 a.m. or even 2 a.m.

Ouch, it's time to go to bed, right? But now you can't fall asleep because you heart is pumping from excitement over the latest news. After a couple of weeks, you notice that you lack energy, and aches and pains are arising that you have not had before.

You start to make appointments with doctors to get to the bottom of the pains. Yet, nobody can find anything wrong. You try physical therapy, pain medication and natural remedies. Still no success. Might sleep be the cause of the issues?

The fact is, staying up late is easy to do when you are young. You used to bounce back. Remember when you could work a full day, head home, change clothes and go out again? It was fun, and you did it three nights in a row. But now you're older, and things have changed.

Sleep is one very important consideration for anyone. We need sleep to restore and repair our systems. Yet, because of the pressures and distractions of modern society, our natural patterns are often interrupted, possibly causing pain and weight gain.

How It Used to Be

Our natural sleep pattern is influenced by light. The cycles of light and dark that occur because of the movement of the sun affect all living creatures.

When health experts speak of our sleeping cycle, you'll often hear it referred to as our "circadian cycle." In times past, it was natural to rise with sunrise and wind down at sundown. Times have changed. You work on the computer, watch TV and read late under electric lights. Hence, there are many opportunities to interrupt our circadian cycle.

Interruption of the circadian cycle can cause aches, pains, health issues and performance issues. Whenever light stimulates your skin or eyes, your brain and hormonal system naturally releases cortisol. This hormone is often called the "stress hormone," since it is released whenever we are exposed to stress, which can be from many various physical, mental and nutritional sources.

As the sun rises, so too do cortisol levels. Normally, the peak of cortisol is between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., after which its concentrations drop slightly till noon and stay at a lower level from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m.

Low cortisol levels allow another hormone called melatonin to be released, helping us to fall asleep. In a perfect world, we should start to wind down when the sun sets, and by about 10 p.m. we should be in bed, allowing our bodies and brains to repair themselves before the next day ahead.

How Modern Life Meddles With the Sleep Cycle

Computer screens, television at night and fluorescent lights flicker on and off between 60 to 120 cycles per second. Recent research suggests that these stimuli cause your brain to think it is morning, prompting the release of cortisol.

At this point, you are withholding your body from the precious sleep it needs for repair, to be re-energized, to stay mentally alert during the following day and to look younger and refreshed.

To get energized in the morning, coffee might be your next move. Or perhaps a muffin or some other treat chock full of simple sugars or high fructose corn syrup.

Why is this a problem? Well, white sugar and caffeine stimulate the adrenal glands, which can in turn release the hormone cortisol. And since cortisol takes part in how our body metabolizes fat, protein and carbohydrates, our body does not function as well as it used to after continued use of these stimulants.

A vicious cycle develops. Lack of sleep hinders your body's attempts at proper repair and restoration. Then you start feeding your body with processed foods that let you hang for even more. Additional calories are the result. And because you are not feeling refreshed, a workout is the last thing on your mind.

Solutions for Sleep-Related Ills

The simple solution to breaking this cycle, of course, may be getting the missing sleep that could be at the root of your aches, pains and exhaustion.

Sure, easier said than done. But try following these checkpoints for proper rejuvenation:

Try to go to bed by 10 p.m., and aim to wind down and be asleep by 10:30 p.m.

Check your bedroom for light sources. These sources can be as seemingly minor as the light from a phone or from your alarm clock. Remove these light sources or cover them.

An eye mask might be helpful in blocking out additional light — plus, it's a great tip for airplane trips.

Try establishing a consistent sleeping schedule.

Avoid caffeine. If you must have caffeine, have it before noon and not later in the day.

Exercise can release endorphins, helping you look and feel youthful. Always remember that exercise is an important component in rejuvenation and to feel great about yourself.

If you are experiencing aches and pains, you might want to try to go to bed as mentioned above. See what happens. While there are many potential causes for aches and pains, solving the lack of sleep brought about by our many modern "conveniences" might be a good first step.

Stefan Aschan is a leading expert on lifestyle, health and fitness, who has helped more then 30,000 people get fit through advice on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle changes. To listen to Aschan's free one-hour seminar "How to Have 10 Times More Success, Stay on Top of Your Goals, and Accomplish the Change of Body and Appearance," visit http://www.strength123.com.