Sleeping better can help you keep New Year's resolutions, doctor says

While most people are resolving to eat better or go to the gym more often this year, a certified sleep specialist says getting a few more z'sis one way to stick to your New Year's goals.

Dr. Chris Winter, a neurologist, sleep specialist and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It,says getting the right amount of sleep can help your body regulate the production of certain chemicals that make us crave unhealthy foods or suppresses our appetite.

Winter says the recommended eight hours of sleep a night is only an average and different people require different amounts of rest.He suggestsadding15 to 20 minutes to your nightly sleep schedule is a great way to start increasing your rest time.

Herea few tips Winter shared with to the CalgaryEyeopener togetyou to nod off and help meet your fitness goals.

Sleep and your diet

Winter says sticking toa healthy sleep cycle can help you stick to a healthy diet.

When aperson isn't sleeping as much as they should or not sleeping properly, Winter says our brain "literally tries to eat yourself awake."

"When we're not getting enough sleep we make more of a chemical called ghrelin,"Winter said. "Ghrelin make us crave carbohydrates, fats;things that give us quick energy."

Winter says these foods appealto "the sleepy brain"and are "anything thatyou'd find in a gas station convenience store."

On the other side of the hunger hormone spectrum isa chemical called leptin, which Winter saysmakes us feel full. Not getting enough sleep can suppressthe production of leptinand leaves people wanting "to eat more of foods we shouldn'tbe eating," Winter says.

Set a bedtime alarm

Winter says adding a bedtime reminder to your phone oralarm clock can help you start your bedtime routine, stick to a sleep schedule andreducethose sleep-relatedfood cravings.

"It's amazing how manytimes people will tell you they just lose track of time at night," Winter said."They get wrapped up in a Netflix episodethey're watching, or e-mailsthey're writing and all of a sudden they look at the phone and it's almost midnight."

He says using a bedtime alarm can be a helpful part of your nightly routine, especially for people who live alone. It also works as a self-induced guilt trip, Winter says, reminding you that every minute spent online or watching TV is one less minute of sleep.

Put away the phone

Lightfrom screens onsmartphones andtablets in the bedroom can keep you from falling asleep and staying asleep. Too much screen time has been also shown toincreases stress levels and affects sleep cycles in kids and young adults.

Winter says plugging in your phone "somewhere other than our bedroom" will help you avoid being woken up prematurely bytexts,emailsand alerts.

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener