Before commenting I would like to say thank you Mark for continuing to forward vital information for healthy and enjoyable living.

Much of what you have written regarding the link between sleep and weight gain resonates with me. I am certainly one of those who believed you could do without sleep, that is to say I believed that sleeping took time out of my waking efforts to achieve my life goals.

Also I suffered weight gain which I put down (exclusively) to our reliance on processed foods. Previously I had always been thin. In trying to get my health back and also my body back to its 'normal' shape I was driven to find another lifestyle, to find foods to eat other than the 'unnatural' foods we are forced to consume. The only answer I could come up with was to go and work in a country where I could access food that was relatively untampered and where I could live and work without having to drive everywhere.

This is now my third year in south west China. The plan has worked. My postmenopause body while not thin is far healthier. Walking up six flights of stairs at least four times a day means that I am very fit for my age. ALso anything I have to do requires a lot of walking. All this, which includes cooking foods using only fresh vegetables and meat, has changed my body, energy, and my life for the better.

While living an easier paced living I found time to recognize and address the 'sleep' issue. I found in this part of this country the opportunity and the freedom to have more sleep. That is to say sleeping is considered socially acceptable. It is 'normal' to have two hours sleep in the middle of the day e.g. schools have a two and a half hour break for lunch.

So yes, I can fully resonate with your article Mark, and living proof of the truth in your writing.

p.s. I had previously lived in denial of sleep apnea. Interestingly this problem has been greatly reduced by the changes made as described above.

I have a tendency to get only 5-6 hours sleep each night all year long as a teacher. I think your info about weight gain or inability to lose weight may relate to me. I believe my major problem is that my routine becomes a habit. I stay up late and snack. I enjoy the precious time I call my own and have a glass of wine and snacks to go with it almost every night. This is a change from when a few months ago, I only had wine on weekends or only every couple of months. This is a routine I am having a hard time shaking. It's a "comfort" thing. But I am at my most relaxed state when I am watching Jay and then Conan, while emailing, checking CNN headlines (on my homepage), planning the next day or so, etc. I get into bed late and get up early (Sept. to June). It is better now that school is out. I can sleep late. But I need to change my routine, but it is difficult. I want to get back to getting to bed early, and getting up early.

The more I learn, the more convinced I am that sleep deprivation is one of many things contributing to my weight problem. I have developed a habit for overwork, late nights and less than six hours sleep a night. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea last summer and began sleeping with a CPAP machine. I was surprised how much more rested I felt and began to realize that I truly was sleep deprived. I've also been recently diagnosed with diabetes and am now taking steps to implement the many wonderful suggestions in Ultrametabolism. Sleep deprivation was a contributing factor for me; I know that there are others as well!

Sleep, or lack of is definately an issue in my life. I usually go to bed by 10:00 and fall asleep right away, but wake up around 1:00 and stay awake for several hours, then fall back asleep just in time for the alarm clock to ring. I also snore quite loudly (or so my wife tells me)which at times will wake me up. This leads me to believe that I may have sleep apnia from what you 've described. Will the ultrametabolism plan alleviate any of this?

Since menopause I have resigned myself to sleeping in 2 to 3 increments.
Supplements help to keep that pleasant versus headache laden.
A year of antidepressants, now happliy over, taught me these things have an absurd affect on dreaming.
Check it out: SSRI's fun dreams, albeit ad nauseum.
Wellbutrin: Bad dreams, murders, blood.
Niether: Normal dreams or at least I am not as aware of them which is fine with me.

After reading your book, and discussing my symptoms with my (new) physician, she has scheduled a sleep test.

Not all physicians pay attention to these problems. My previous doc said to just lose some weight and I'll be fine....hmmm.

I began gaining weight when my son was born. Despite him being a great sleeper, I wasn't. I found myself worrying constantly that my baby was ok (normal in young mothers). When my daughter was born it got worse as she was a non sleeper and since then Ive been sleeping an average of three hours a day. In the past couple of years I have managed to get to bed at a more decent hour and am usually asleep by midnight, but I wake up contantly (every two or three hours) during the night. There have been times in which I have big trouble getting back to sleep too. I am about 80 lbs overweight now - something I had never had in the past as my weight has not been such a problem (Ive always had to watch my weight but it's never been a big problem - never been overweight either). That yes, I can also add that I have been living in an unhappy situation for about 15 years now which cannot be changed in the immediate future and suffer of anxiety.
I have asked my doctor to do some sleep tests on me but she quickly discarded it as if I had read too much or watched too many movies. I live in Spain where the medical social security service is usually very good, but changing doctors constantly is not an option. causing me to stick to the doctor I have now. She does run blood tests on me every six months, but she claims the hormones are normal and everything else as well (I only see hormone levels run from max to min and back again). (I could send you a copy of the last ones if you so wished). I am at a standstill as I tend to eat a lot less than anyone else in the family and both mom and I are convinced that this is not an eating issue. Exercising is a part of it - I admit, but food isnt - believe me. I add that I am 43 now.

Thank you. Carolyn

I have had trouble with sleep for the past few years and have gained 70 pounds on top of already being overweight (lifelong problem). I am menopausal, have fibromyalgia & IBS, plus had my thyroid removed (nodules) 12 yrs ago. I am so tired every day I have just enought energy to make it through work (9+ hrs in front of a computer daily). I don't want to take any more medications, so I suffer through it. Read your book, haven't been able to do the first part of the program, but have cut down big time on sugar and eating more fruits & veggies, hoping that will help some. I wake up numerous times each night and even when it seems I do sleep I am very restless. Any help you can give is appreciated.

How very coincidental that I got this email newsletter today. My doctor just ran bloodwork on me (which came out fine) and has ordered a sleep test. It seems funny to me, although my father has severe sleep apnea, because I have always considered myself a good sleeper. I can fall asleep in less than 2 minutes and don't wake up unless my daughter cries. I don't lie awake stressing over life's problems. I average 7 hours of sleep a night, exercise regularly, and eat well for the most part. Since January, my husband says I have taken up snoring. I have also put on almost 20 pounds with no change in lifestyle. Most recently, (which prompted the Doctor's visit) I have had an extremely hard time staying awake on the 18 minute drive to and from work. I have also had somewhat of a memory problem - which naturally gets attributed to "old age" (41) or "stress", even struggling for words during a conversation. And talk about craving the sugary things that I normally stay away from, you sure described me to a "T". I am hopeful that, while no one wants a problem like that, finding a solution is right around the corner.
Just a quick comment about what I found humorous about this newsletter: while it spoke of sleep deprivation and what to do about it, I received this email at 1:22AM, and then another from your company at 3:55AM.

My weight problems started when my twin daughters were born (26 years ago). I went from normal sleep to virtually no sleep overnight. When they turned about five sleeping returned to normal, but my weight was already out of hand. In the past three years I have lost 30 pounds, have 20 to go. Now about half the time I fall asleep normally only to wake up later and stay awake for hours. Or I lay awake for hours, then sleep. Other times I am fine for weeks on end. I no longer eat sugar, milk, flour. The remaining 20 pounds just won't go.

I have always been a night owl, that is a person who stays up late and goes to bed late and it seems to me that me body clock was set so that I would get a surge of energy at about seven in the evening and I would stay up until about 1:00 am. I even used to pride myself that I could function with only four hours of sleep. My habit did not seem to cause me any harm, but now I wonder about it because at this point, I am about thirty pounds heavier than I used to be when I was in my 20's(I am now 50) and I am very uncomfortable with the weight gain.

I am looking for answers because I exercise every day for a half hour in the morning and many days I go for a walk or jog in the evenings. I think that I am a healthy eater - mostly vegetables, salads, fish and occasionally chicken. I never buy any junk food, and fruits are the only sweet that I eat. However, this all seems to be to no avail because my weight seems to be stuck and I do not seem to be able to lose the weight. Also, I seem to be carrying a lot of that weight in my mid-section. I am sure that part of the problem is that I have a very stressful job and also my thyroid and adrenals may not be functioning well. Even going through Phase 1 and changing my eating habits somewhat I did not lose any weight. Also, I am now menopausal and have not been able to get real restful sleep. I get at most about 4 hours of sleep per night and even then my sleep is very fitful because I am experiencing hot flashes and night sweats which wake me up almost every hour. Right now, I function but I am very tired. I have to force myself to get up in the morning because I am so tired.

I keep hoping that these symptoms will pass and I will be able to get a good night's sleep, but it is not happening. I keep trying various types of alternative formulations, but so far I have not found anything that has helped.

Lack of sleep definitely has played a role in my inability to lose weight. I was working one night shift a week for 5 years and the last couple of years I was really having trouble catching up on sleep. During this time I gained some weight and couldn't lose it despite exercise and diet changes. Starting to get more normal sleep again I can already see a difference and exercise is helping me to lose the weight now as it wasn't before.

My 45 year-old husband has worked shiftwork his whole adult life. He stays around 20 to 25 lbs overweight despite regular exercise. He often binges on sweets and drinks too many caffeinated sodas. He either eats too much or too little. On work days, he eats maybe once in a 12 hour period. He also sleeps with the TV on and gets 5 hours of sleep per night (or day) on average. I want to thank Dr. Hyman for this info. While my husband can't quit his job any time soon, he can take some of this advice that I think will help. We'll keep you posted.

I too am a shift worker. I work at a Sleep Lab in Albuquerque, NM. I believe that in my case I put on 60 pounds after beginning to work nights because I constantly used food and coffee to keep me alert. I am a lousy day sleeper. Here is a what a typical day/night of food would be. I would eat breakfast. Eggs, toast, butter, and instant coffee with transfats. I'd eat lunch before going to bed to take a nap so that I'd be ready to work that night. Lunch would likely be a sandwich, with butter, and mayo, lunch meat, chips. I'd sleep for an hour or two, get up and get ready for work. I'd get to work at 6 and have dinner while looking over paperwork and physician orders for the night. Dinner consisted of on a good day a sonic salad, or a foot long sub sandwich. On a bad day, a hamburger or toaster sandwich and fries, with the a coke. After the patients got to bed between 10 and 11pm, I then had another meal. When I speaking about meals, I really mean a full heavy meal with deserts. There was constant munching all night. Then so that I could have a full belly and sleep better in the morning, I'd get home or stop at McDonalds and have another high fat breakfast.

This is how I gained the weight. My 3-13 hr shifts were spent eating and attempting to sleep as much as possible. Unfortunately my diet didn't improve much on my days off, I just wasn't eating day and night.

I've been able now to take off weight using some of the tips in the book; but I had to resign myself to the fact that I HAD to work out in addition to cutting down on my food intake. There is just no other way. I had to find time to take care of myself. I've lost 40 pounds since January. It can be done. I do believe you have to work a little bit harder for it when you are a shift worker though.

Dreaming....? I know one cannot survive well if they don't dream. But coincidently, 25 yrs ago when I suddenly found myself with a weight problem, was about the time I no longer remembered any dreams. Even today, I rarely remember a dream, even parts of one.

Working my way through nursing school, as a single mother began a long slide into weight gain. I thought just working would let me return to a healthy weight, but did not realize the shift work was so destructive, not to mention having junk food as the only source of energy for 12 hours in the ER. Now that I'm retired, I'm amazed how a regular sleep schedule has helped, although the weight is now coming off VERY slowly, with a lot of focus on diet and exercise walking. On the occasion when I don't get enough sleep, I am astounded as to how bad I feel, and realize, we all thought feeling like this was Normal.
Hurray for sleep. Enough sleep that is, 8 hours is my minimum now. I

I am a 44 year old working mom of two. I have insomnia. It takes me hours to fall asleep and than I wake up around 5pm and an hour to fall back asleep again. Lately I have been taking a nightly shower with lavender soap, I have lit a lavender scented candle every evening, put myself in bed by 10pm, drank some more milk for calcium, and exercise at least for 30 min (jogging or biking or anything fun)...these seem to be helping. It also is important to limit caffeine intake and I have been trying to eat before 8pm. There is alot to do but you can incorporate it slowly, one by one, which made it more successful. I also take melatonin which also helps me remember my wierd and wild dreams! Thanks for the article.

You are right-on about the sleep apena; I know I have the problem and am trying to get help. I have definitely put on weight because of this and continue to do so. Metabolism out of control; sleep deprivation affects everything: sinuses, energy, stamina, interest.

I am a 52 year old female, aerobics instructor, fitness/wellness instructor and personal trainer. I get 1-2 hours of moderate to vigorous activity 6 days per week which includes aerobic activity and weight lifting. I have 2 active sons and lead an active life, myself. I have put on 5-7 lbs. since going back to school for a Dietetics & Nutrition degree (late nights studying and reading) and since my oldest son suffered a spinal cord injury (late nights helping him and then tending to my own work). My legs and arms are still lean (some tricep fat gain) but it's the belly fat that is really obvious. I have this fold of "stuff" that I've never, ever had before. I get 5-6 hours of sleep per night. Some evenings, I'm afraid to drive home from work because I'm so tired. My husband has sleep apnea and snores like a diesel motor. I wear an earplug because I have to be able to hear for our son to call. But the bed vibrates with the snoring. At night, I crave starchy foods and sweets. Just had a bowl of cereal and one of ice cream. What!?!? HELP!

I too sleep with a CPAP after being diagnosed with sleep apnea- highly unusual for a then pre-menopausal not overweight person. But huge allergy prob's I think cause me to develop mouth breathing and then snoring. But now everything is changed - now menopause (the hard way) and even the CPAP is not seeming to help get a restful sleep- restless legs and waking up too frequently and not being able to go back to sleep and a stressful job to boot- leads to belly fat!

Mark your book is great! best one in a long time.

Poor quality of sleep probably did contribute to my weight "problem", but I began taking magnesium and calcium a couple of years ago and that took care of that.
I found myself feeling really awful (ached all over!) a few years ago. When I went to the doctor to discuss this, I learned I had high blood pressure (very high), started taking diuretics...My physician thought there was some heart damage due to an over active thyroid gland, sent me to a endocrinogist, thyroid nodules biopsied and then a thyroid ablation. Went in for routine blood work and learned I had diabetes. (At this point I had located a vitamin/mineral supplement that took care of all of the previous aches!), wound up on glucophage, attending classes where the dieticians are excited to introduce Nutrasweet. I am easily 50 lbs overweight and have been on every diet I have ever read about-they worked much better when I was younger. Saw my physician this week, he says "it's all about portion control". Trust me-I'm not overeating. I'm hopeful that your information can help me. My biggest concern is that too much damage has been done -

I knew as soon as I picked up your book that you were onto something and I appreciate the clear explanations, integration of the latest info, and the meal-planning. But I'm having a really hard time changing my life-style to make it work. I find all the meal prep very taxing (I'm single so not responsible for anyone else's food) and I have always been a night-person and tend to eat later, go to bed and rise later. I'm pretty sure that this has contributed to my weight gain and resistance to losing. Coupled with not exercising for the past two years (former runner/weight trainer!) due to schedule, taking too much on, and just not wanting to go to the health club anymore!

Fortunately, I have a fairly good diet (Whole Foods shopper for years, avoid the "white foods" etc.) My thyroid checks out and I'm taking bio-identical hormones for menopause. I am also researching eliptical machines for home use and have found a local doctor from your web link and will pursue these avenues.

Do you have any advice on how to reset your biological clock? If I could do that and discipline myself to do less (sometimes sacrificing sleep for the activity--including decompression time like reading), it might be the entry point I need to solve the other things.

Thanks for being on this mission!

YES!!! Lack of sleep definitely causes weight gain! I started a dog daycare business about 8 months ago, working 14 hour days with a commute. Guess what? 15 lbs. just packed on seemingly overnight! I fight to get to bed and get good sleep every night...

For the last 5 years or so I wake up most night between 1 and 3 and can't go back to sleep. I recently had a sleep study done and have moderate apnea. Got a BiPAP machine but I am having trouble getting used to the mask so I just got a different one and I am hoping that will help. I was diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue 2 years ago after a knee injury and my nightime salivary cortisol levels are extremely high. My doctor recently increased my Cytomel and that seems to have helped the sleep but I still sometimes wake up feeling really revved. I have tried this program twice but have not made it through more than one week of the detox phase. I have an eating disorder and it is very hard for me to do these types of elimination diets. I am going to try one more time as I would really love to sleep better.

What can I use instead of artifical sweeteners, because honey makes me sick?

Depending on the form of soy
I have different reactions.
One is much gas. One is diareahhea like reaction. for the forms you mentioned that are not pure soy.
I understand that much monosodium glutamate is made from soy. I have many
reactions from this. some as above, plus, increased heart rate, chest tightness, numbness down the left arm, headache, tighness in my breathing.
I personally think that soy industry has sold the food industry a pack of lies, which has also been passed on to the medical industry and vitamin manufacturers.
Most high quality organic products use to and some still do have a disclaimer at the bottom of the label. "this product contains no, soy, wheat, corn, or Milk products. WHY? Because these are the most common food's people are sensitive to.
Thanks for listening.
Rosemarie

This makes so much sense. This is terrible, but as a new nursing grad working nights many years ago, I always wondered, "Are nurses who work nights fat because of working nights? Or do they work nights because they are fat (and have nothing else to do at night)" My observations were that most nurses who worked night shift were overweight. And now that I am back to a steady night shift, I am experiencing the same trouble. It helps to know the reason... now on to fighting it!

I am a police officer. I work the evening watch from 3-11PM. 3 days out of the week I also work a side job until 4AM in the morning after I finish my regular shift. I love my job and I really like the shift that I am on. The problem is now I cannot go to sleep before 4AM in the morning most nights even when I'm off. Obviously my job has a level of stress associated with it but thats ok someone has to do it. However I have recently gained weight and I feel more tired that usual. Within the last 2 months I have gained about 20 lbs and I am now stuck at 225lbs (I am 5'11"). I am a pretty stocky guy but now when I eat I am almost immediately sleepy. On top of that I work in a sector that is on a rough side of town so all of the food that is available is fried and very low quality. I don't eat a lot of sweets but I do eat fast food sometimes. My questions are:

1. Given my schedule what is the best time for me to eat?

2. Is it possible for me to still have a healthy life style considering all of these conditions?

3. What should I eat?

I cannot advocate consumption of soy because of too many negative reports, both animal and human. This is not easy for me to admit because I am a farmwife.

I am a 45 year old female. I never had trouble with my weight until the last 5-7 years. First started with a back injury & off work (I am a nurse) for a period of time. Then I started putting on a little weight, finally went back to work but my health started deteriorating. I was dx with fibromyalgia, meds working moderately. A year later dx with chronic fatigue syndrome meds working minimally weight slowly increasing. In July 2003 contracted west nile virus that probably kicked in the lab results to finally confirm Lupus. I am now 50# overweight, my meds are not helping. I can take my amphetamine meds and feel like I need a nap. I take morphine for pain which does give occasional relief. I am so tired all the time and in pain most of the time. I have small grandchildren that give me the incentive to continue to get up every day and I try to play with them as much as possible but it is so difficult. I recently joined The curves program and make myself do the workout 3 times a week I do enjoy it. I also discovered the reason I would gain more weight and not lose was I was not eating enough of anything. So I am eating good carbs, protein and watching what kind of fat I eat. I am slowly very slowly losing a little weight and firming parts of my body. I have alot of difficulty sleeping both falling asleep & staying asleep it is horrible, I try to take a nap in the afternoon, but usually cannot fall asleep. (never could sleep in the daytime) except occasional days that I cannot wakeup. I am going to start on the ultrametabolism program. Are there any suggestions because of my health conditions that I should be aware of? I sure would love to have a little bit of energy. Thank you, I am reading your book and trying to understand how to do the program, (some comprehension and memory difficulties) I was an athlete and straight A student growing up.

Hi
I would love to know if my thyroid is responsible for making me tired in the mornings... I get between 7 & eight hours a night...practice Ashtanga Yoga... would love to lose 10 pounds and have been following the no dairy no wheat no sugar for 3 months... but seemed to have stopped losing weight. I am always moving around... I am not obese in any way.... would just love to get back to my pre- baby weight.... and alertness.... any ideas Dr Mark?