People trying to lose weight could see results faster by adjusting their bedtime. According to a nurse practitioner, overlooking the importance of quality sleep is one of the three common mistakes she claims are often made by people trying to lose weight.

Ruth Stephen, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with CLS Health, discussed the mistakes in a video shared on the @Clshealth TikTok page. In the footage, Ruth shared tips for people who are trying to lose weight. Starting the video, the expert spoke about the importance of eating a balanced diet.

She said: "Here are the top three weight loss mistakes that everyone makes. Number one, let's talk about diet. Skipping meals and cutting all the carbs is not the way to go, but add healthy fats, complex carbs like brown rice, veggies, and lean protein."

• ‘I suffered from common symptom for years then was told it's terminal cancer'


• Cardiologists say eating one food at 11am cuts cholesterol and blood pressure

For her second tip, the nurse practitioner explained why just doing cardio won't cut it. "Don't just do cardio, but add strength training to your routine and be consistent with it," she explained.

Finally, Ruth said sleep quality is often overlooked. "Sleep is crucial for your weight loss journey. It helps with appetite control, hormone balances, and recovery. So make sure you sleep for at least eight to ten hours every night," she advised.

There are many reasons why not getting enough sleep could inhibit weight loss. The NHS explains: "Research has shown that both children and adults who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be above the healthy weight range. It is thought this is because:

• Lack of sleep increases our appetite, especially for foods that are high in fat and sugar.


• If we are too tired to cook, we are more likely to have high energy, fast foods.


• If we are tired, we are less likely to be active and more likely to do sedentary activities like watching TV or playing online games.


• Lack of sleep also affects our mood and behaviour."

Getting good quality sleep is therefore important for both mental and physical health. According to YouGov, 7am is the most common wake-up time for Brits, with 65% of people typically getting up between 6am and 8am. As such, someone with a 7am alarm would need to go to bed at 9pm to get ten hours of sleep, if they were to follow the nurse's 'eight to ten hours of sleep' advice.

However, some people might not need the full ten hours, while others might need more. The NHS says: "A healthy adult usually needs around seven to nine hours of sleep. However, age, health and personal circumstances affect how much sleep we need, plus some people naturally sleep more than others.

"Teenagers, children and babies need more sleep because they are still growing, but that varies, too, with a newborn sleeping anywhere between eight to sixteen hours."