Fit Fat and Sleep: Lessons From Your Pets!

Sleep! Ah! Glorious Sleep! No doubt you've read all the warnings that every health magazine and web site has posted: sleep too little and you set yourself up for early aging -- increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity -- and who knows what.

But, you say, I'm a natural light sleeper, I just can't sleep those seven or eight hours that others seem too -- even when I get the chance. And you worry that your sleeping habits may work against your long-term health.

Believe it or not, the length of time you sleep is a good indicator of just how fit you are. It's true! People in better shape actually sleep longer than those who are less fit.

Not only that but the better your physical condition, the faster you go into the REM cycle -- rapid eye movement or dreaming. And to top it all off, you sleep much more easily than those who are out of shape.

If you're fit as a fiddle, you sleep like a dog. Well, that's what health expert Covert Bailey says in his book The Ultimate Fit or Fat.

A dog? At first it sounds really strange, but think about it. Ever have a dog? How long did it take your pet to go into his dream cycle -- not much more than a minute, if that? He plops on the floor next to you -- or even right on top of you! -- and he's out like a log. And the next thing you know he's not only snoring, but his legs are twitching. And you're wondering exactly what he's dreaming about.

If you continue to watch him closely, you'll also discover that he exits that same REM cycle quickly too. He doesn't need a half hour to an hour to decide to wake up and go out for a walk. He jumps up no matter how deeply he's sleeping. He's ready for that walk you're proposing.

Contrast that with his 5 a.m. visit to your bed when he needs to go outside. Do you jump up as enthusiastically as he does? My guess: probably not.

Dogs -- just like every other fit animal -- are instantly oriented when they're awakened abruptly (we would call it rudely!). It's just one of those traits they need to survive in the wild.

Now there's a lesson or two to be learned here, according to Bailey. When you're in shape -- or fit, as Bailey continually calls it -- it affects every aspect of your life. Sure, you're going to experience long-term benefits like reduced risk of degenerative diseases.

But you're also going experience very real, tangible benefits, that at first glance you might not even associate with your newer level of fitness.

People who have gone from fat to fit say they have an improved mood, better control over their appetite -- and they sleep much better as well (as a matter of fact, they sleep like a dog!)

Now there's just another reason to get out there and burn that fat!

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