It's a love hate thang...

I love/hate mornings. I detest waking up to an alarm, but with my early schedule it's a must. I have been getting up to an alarm clock in the early hours of the morning since I started high school and had to be at early morning dance practice. During college I coached a high school dance team, where I had to leave my house by 4:30 AM every morning, and as soon as I graduated I started training which lends itself to a scarily early schedule.
I love to sleep in, but my body has long since robbed me of that ability. I think my mental clock is just too used to the early morning hours. I do actually really enjoy getting up and being productive in the mornings, and I LOVE to get my work out in and over with before the day begins. There is something about being able to check that off my list that is just so fulfilling to me.
Unfortunately for myself, I am also a night owl. I do enjoy going to bed early, but I get going and start to work on some project, get cleaning something, start blogging, and partying with my friends to the point where all of the sudden it's 12:30 and my alarm is due to go off in 4.5 hours. One of these days I will learn.

(Don't worry folks...we're in Provo, UT here..."partying" consists of frozen yogurt runs, midnight movies, dance parties, and diet coke.) 

My extremely early schedule has led me to realize the importance of a good night's sleep. Getting some good zzzz's in is CRUCIAL to maintaining a healthy level of energy and even maintaining or losing weight. Your sleep time is when the body recoups. It is the best time for your body to recharge and heal itself. If you aren't getting enough sleep you aren't allowing for that to happen. Those who don't sleep enough tend to overeat the next day. Lack of sleep decreases the release of the hormone leptin and increases the release of the hormone ghrelin.  Ghrelin is the hormone that tells us we are hungry.

Less sleep = more ghrelin = more insatiable hunger. Translation...we eat more.

We tend to crave foods that are higher in sugar and carbohydrates which when eaten leads to more cravings of those same foods. It is a vicious cycle. Leptin is the hormone that tells us we are full.

Less sleep = decrease in leptin = we never feel like our hunger is satisfied. Translation...we eat more.

You can see how this can be scary if you are trying to eat healthy. Craving unhealthy foods and never feeling full is a dangerous combo. Aside from these reactions, sleep just makes us feel better. We look better. We have more energy. We are able to do more, which makes us feel better. We are happier. SO, STOP READING BLOGS AND  GO TO BED! JK...love you.

Do you get enough sleep? I wish I did. It is something I am really trying to work on! When do you go to bed and get up in the morning? I am lucky if I get to bed at 11:30 and I get up at 5:00 AM. Gross I know. I have to take naps sometimes. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I think I'm both. Is that possible?