One of the things that I love about Take Shape for Life is that it doesn't just focus on what you eat. Your overall health and wellness is at the center of the program.

For the past week and a half, Ben and I have been up nearly every night with a sick baby or two. On some nights, we might have had a combined total of 6 hours and by yesterday we were both so run down that we literally fell in to bed and are now getting sick ourselves. It also made an impact on the scale -- no weight loss for either one of us this week.

In the book, "Dr. A's Habits of Health", he states "sleep is your body's way of restoring organ function, stabilizing chemical imbalance, refreshing areas of the brain that control mood and behavior, and improving performance." Optimal health requires that we not only change our eating habits, but our sleeping ones as well. It is necessary for us to get adequate sleep if we want to lose weight and be healthier.

Dr. A's book that I mentioned above has some GREAT tips on how to reset our habits so that we can get a good night of rest. Here are some of his "steps to healthy sleep".

1. Find your Chronotype -- Are you a night owl or early bird? You need to sleep at the right time of day to ensure that your body is getting the adequate melatonin levels necessary to reach optimal health.
2. Set a Bedtime...and stick with it!
3. Set a Routine -- Just like we do with our babies when they are little...bath, jammies, book, prayers....we should also develop our own routine that helps our brain program itself to prepare for the full night of rest.
4. Create an Environment for Sleep -- Make sure your bedroom is clean, comfortable, at the right temperature, and that your bed is conducive to sleep.

So here is to a new week and a whole lot more sleep...that's what I'm praying for anyway. And tomorrow, I start fresh on the Medifast plan. With just 5 weeks to Aruba, I would like to lose 30 pounds before I go.

Happy sleeping...~ B