A dream come true Part 2

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" It may include a slice of toast or pear with a glass of warm milk

and Milo, " says .

While diet is important in preventing weight gain, says an

emphasis on the sleep routine, rather than on special foods,

characterises The Doona Diet. " It's getting your sleep right so your

hormones aren't making you gain weight, " she says.

Essential to getting a good night's sleep is the removal of

television sets, video games, PCs, mobile phones and 'overly

thrilling books that can't be put down' from the bedroom. " Such

distractions could cause you to lose up to a month's worth of sleep

in a year, " warns the book's Dr Fletcher, who is now based in

Washington DC.

Also weighing in on the link between obesity and sleep deprivation

is Dr Brendon Yee, a sleep and respiratory physician at the Royal

Prince Alfred Hospital.

Yee and his colleagues conducted a weight-loss program in a group of

100 obese male subjects with sleep apnoea.

The study required subjects to participate in an exercise program,

eat a low calorie diet, and take the drug sibutramine, used for the

treatment of obesity.

" The major findings so far reveal that those who lost 10 per cent of

their body weight also had a 30 per cent reduction in sleep apnoea.

We don't know exactly what causes this. It may be due to a reduction

of fat around the neck and improvement in upper airway anatomy, "

says Yee.

One of his colleagues at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Dr

Buchanan, believes an unusual sleep-related eating disorder is

behind the fatigue of some people who have unexplained weight gain.

It involves sleepers rising from their beds to consume large

quantities of whatever they find, including whole tubs of ice cream.

" They engage in gorging behaviour and return to bed without any

knowledge of what they have done in the night, " says Buchanan.

Fortunately, he believes the alarming condition affects very few

people. " It's rare in the overall scheme of things. "

Where the problem does exist, Buchanan says it's best to keep

kitchen cupboards and pantries locked at night.

For other sleep related problems, The Doona Diet makes several

recommendations. Placing a tennis ball in a sock or stocking and

sewing it on to the back of a snorer's pyjamas is one suggestion.

With snoring being prevalent in people who sleep on their backs, the

idea behind the strategy is that when snorers roll onto their backs

they will feel uncomfortable and roll back on their sides.

People who snore in any position, and especially people who suffer

from sleep apnoea, may require guidance from a sleep specialist

and/or a dietitian. Surgical procedures are effective in some cases,

especially where there is a nasal obstruction.