Top habits of successful dieters: Goodnight, sleep tight

Habit: Goodnight, sleep tight

People who lose weight successfully all - knowingly or not - know how to do one thing well that doesn't seem like a real skill ... They know how to get a great night's sleep.

This is CRUCIAL to losing weight, because a body that isn't getting enough rest is going to struggle to prioritise an activity like weight loss which requires even more energy from an already tired internal environment.

Bottom line ... if you're not sleeping well, you're not going to lose weight easily at all.

So how does one ensure high-quality sleep?

Here are a few tips:

• Do some exercise during the day - this makes your body more aware that it's in need of rest and should help you shut off more easily when it's bed time
• Don't eat too much before bed - try to have dinner two or three hours before 'hitting the hay'. This will help your body to rest well without having digestive work to do while you sleep
• Stop looking at bright screens for the hour before bed - the blue light in the screens stimulates your brain and makes it a struggle to go to sleep
• Limit your post-lunchtime caffeine intake - try to drink decaffeinated tea and coffee after lunch
• Limit your sugar intake - all the time, but particularly later in the day. It's a stimulant after all
• Have a dark, quiet, comfortable room to sleep in
• Try to get a similar number of hours' sleep every night and wake up at a similar time every morning

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