In this episode, you’ll learn 15 tips to get better sleep after age 50. But really these tips work no matter your age.

Sleep is one of the most overlooked aspects of weight loss and disease prevention. If your sleep is chronically compromised, then your metabolism might be too.

Eve van Cauter, a sleep scientist at the University of Chicago, limited healthy young adults to just 4.5 hours of sleep per night. After four days, they showed insulin levels comparable to those of obese, middle-aged individuals with diabetes and, even more concerning, about a 50 percent drop in their ability to process glucose. This has become one of the most reliable results in sleep research. At least nine separate studies have demonstrated that lack of sleep can raise insulin resistance by as much as one-third.

Compounding the insulin resistance issue, poor sleep and stress go hand in hand. Higher stress levels can make us sleep poorly, as we all know, but poor sleep also makes us more stressed.

It’s a feedback loop. Both poor sleep and high stress activate the sympathetic nervous system. This causes an increase in cortisol.

And thus blood sugar and insulin. Higher insulin levels drive more fat storage and make weight loss difficult.

Aside from this rise in cortisol, poor sleep increases hunger and reduces satiety, having a double-edge sword against weight loss.

So a cornerstone in any weight loss or health program should be to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Research also shows that good sleep in middle age is especially important for presenting cognitive decline later in life.

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Resources From This Episode

>> Join Zivli

>> Freebie: Weight Loss Mindset Audio Training

>> Weight Loss Mindset Tips Playlist

>> Episode: How to Sleep Better - Part 1 With Valerie Cacho, MD

>> Episode: How to Sleep Better - Part 2 With Valerie Cacho, MD