If you are trying to lose weight, there are precise things you know you should do. You tend to quit sugar and junk foods and prefer eating more vegetables, lean protein and work out at the gym regularly. What you don't realize is that sleep is the solution to being rewarded for your diet and fitness endeavor. I you aren’t sleeping well at night you will feel exhausted and have no energy to exercise. In addition when you are overtired, you don’t have the mental clarity in good decision – making.

• Sleep Controls Your Diet

Sleeping for less than seven hours at night, can reduce and overrule the benefits of dieting. Less sleep can lead you to crave more sugary or salty foods and make you less likely to be able to say no to unhealthy food. The amount of sleep you get affects your diet; this is because the less you sleep the more your hormones that regulate hunger are affected in a negative way. Ghrelin is the hormone that indicates your brain that you’re hungry. A lack of sleep disrupts the normal management of this hormone.

• Poor Sleep Changes Your Fat Cells

Not just your brain and body feel exhausted and confused even your fat cells do. Within four days of sleep deprivation, your body's ability to correctly use insulin becomes completely distorted. When you become more insulin resistant, fats (lipids) circulate in your blood and pump out more insulin. Ultimately this excess insulin ends up storing fat in the wrong places and this is how you become fat and suffer from diseases.

• Sleep Destroys Gym Time

Lack of sleep makes it harder for your body to recuperate from exercise by slowing down the production of growth hormone, your natural source of anti-aging and fat burning that also makes recovery easier. Whatever your fitness goals, having some muscle on your body is essential. Muscle is the opponent of fat, it helps you burn fat and stay young. But sleep is the opponent of muscle. Less sleep decreases protein synthesis (your body's ability to make muscle) causing muscle loss.

How to Sleep Better to Lose Weight

•  Assess your environment

If you can't get a full eight hours sleep at night, don't lose hope. The quality of sleep matters more than the quantity of sleep. For better sleep make a few changes to your environment.

1. Minimize light or noise from any source. Shut down your computer, cell phone or TV at least an hour before you plan to hit the bed.
2. Don't charge electronic accessories next to your bed.
3. Invest in a high-quality mattress for good sleeping posture.

• Late night snacks to be skipped:

If you crave for a late night snack, try skipping it and refuel it by sleeping instead. When our bodies don’t recharge through sleep, we look for energy in another form. If you really need a snack before bedtime, try taking some protein which will keep you satisfied for a longer period of time.

• Regard your sleep habits

Create a bedtime habit. Read, meditate or take a bath before sleep. Keep your bedroom for sleep instead of work or entertainment. Make a schedule to wake and retire to bed at the same time every day, try sticking to the schedule even on weekends.

It might not seem much, but it could make a lot of difference than any other health decision you make. Learning to sleep well, may obtain the energy you need to support in other aspects of your health.