The chicken or the egg?

Does not sleeping make you overweight or does being overweight make you not sleep?

Tough question. The answer is both, really.

When you’re tired, you don’t want to exercise and turn to comfort and convenience foods, causing you to gain weight. Extra weight around the chest and abdomen make sleeping difficult. Consequently, you wake up tired and not at all motivated to exercise and take the necessary steps to properly care for your body. And the cycle continues.

The best way to break the cycle is to choose a different strategy when faced with fatigue. If you find yourself struggling to stay awake at any point during the day, skip the nap or soda and try one of these:

• Take a 5-minute walk (outside if you can).
• Stand up and take stretch. Try touching your toes to get the blood flowing.
• Open a window and get some fresh air.
• Make a phone call. Keeping up with conversation is sure to get the gears in your brain moving, helping you wake up a bit.
• Turn on some music. Move to the beat a little if you really need a wake-up.

If you follow these tips, but don’t seen an improvement in your energy level over time, consider talking to your doctor. He or she will likely have tips and input that will get you back on track.