How improving your sleeping habits can improve your anti-aging efforts and enhance your weight loss program in Los Angeles.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? If you are like most Americans, your answer to that question is probably “not enough.” For optimal health it is recommended that you get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, but between your weight loss goals, your anti-aging efforts, your career objectives and other personal matters, getting enough shuteye night after night can be very hard to do.

Regularly depriving yourself of sleep could be interfering with your health and wellness goals in a number of ways. Missing out on sleep drains your energy levels, increases your risk for illness, makes you more susceptible to weight gain and can even interfere with your mood—all aspects of your health that can work against your anti-aging treatment plan and weight loss program.

But what is there to do about it? In a world where we are all subject to our daily routines, how can you make such a profound change to start getting eight hours of sleep every night? You may be surprised to learn that changing a few simple habits can actually have a huge impact on your sleeping habits, and thereby on your health and overall quality of life.

Here are a few of habits you can change to get more sleep starting tonight:

• Cut down on the caffeine: This is always the most basic principle of getting better sleep, but you don’t have to cut out caffeine completely to experience benefits. Cutting down on the amount of caffeine you have daily or eliminating an afternoon cup of Joe can significantly improve your ability to fall and stay asleep.
• Change when you exercise: Exercising daily is great for your weight loss efforts, but if you are working out right before bed then it could be keeping you up at night. Try switching your exercise routine to first thing in the morning, or going for your daily walk before dinner instead of after.
• Eliminate distractions: Having distractions in your room can interfere with your ability to fall and stay asleep. Try turning off the TV, put pets out of your bedroom and turn off all of the lights. If you sleep with a partner who can’t comply with these details, then try sleeping with ear plugs or an eye mask to enhance your own comfort.

Making a few simple changes in your sleeping habits can have a pretty big impact on your health and wellness, even boosting your weight loss and anti-aging goals.