Most of us simply take sleep for granted. We assume we need our "rest" without ever thinking much about it. But the most important function of sleep is to allow our bodies to regenerate themselves. If we engage in physical exercise or muscle-taxing work during the day, our muscles, ligaments, skin, cartilege and other working parts of our body are worn down in the process. The body needs a time of rest to rebuild these damaged parts. That is what happens during sleep.

In other words, the body engages in a restorative process during sleep. And this restorative process uses energy to rebuild both lean muscle mass and other kinds of body tissue. That is worth repeating -- the rebuilding processes that take place during sleep use energy. And if the restorative processes are running smoothly and efficiently, the required energy comes from the places in our body where energy is stored -- from our fat cells.

So while we sleep the body repairs and rebuilds organ tissue, ligaments, tendons and lean muscle by burning the calories we take in as food during the day. And if that is not enough, it will burn excess fat.

Several things about this process are worth noting. They have an important bearing on how efficiently it works.

Collagen is very important to the body repair process

Collagen is the most common protein found in our bodies. It is the main component of our skin, nails, bones, cartilage, and connective tissue and is found in all of the body organs. Cartilage is the cushion and shock absorber between joints, and the reason we stay flexible and mobile. But cartilage and other soft body tissues are the very things that break down during our normal daily activities. So healthy cartilage and other soft tissue is constantly being regenerated by the body naturally and this process which depends on a steady source of collagen contributes to keeping us youthful and flexible.

Unfortunately, as we age our bodies lose the ability to produce collagen at sufficient levels needed to support the restorative processes that our bodies are designed to perform. This can be a major contributor leading to a premature aged appearance and can seriously affect our flexibility and mobility.

Therefore it stands to reason that a collagen supplement combined with other natural ingredients can have a dramatic impact on the deep restorative processes that take place during sleep. This in turn can allow the body to experience more energy, build more lean muscle, and burn more fat.

Amino acids enhance the regeneration process

The rebuilding process is also dependent on the production of a unique amino acid combination found in collagen. As part of the restoration process, these collagen based special amino acids help maintain lean muscle mass and allow the body to more readily consume fat for energy during the deep restorative sleep cycles. This natural metabolic function directly contributes to weight loss and our ability to maintain our "proper weight".

But again, as we age, our body's production of collagen and its unique amino acids is reduced. The natural ingredient L-Carnitine, when properly combined with collagen in a natural supplement, can significantly enhance the body's natural function of converting excess fat into readily available energy. During deep sleep, this special amino acid conbination works like a natural "turbo charger" to help your body repair, preserve and build lean muscle while burning stored excess fat to supply the needed energy.

Not eating before sleeping is important

Since the body uses deep sleep for the restoration process, it is important when using a collagen supplement not to eat approximately three hours before going asleep. This is because we don't want nutrient competitiion between undigested food and the collagen supplement's special nutrient formula. If the body has to concern itself with digestion it will not absorb the collagen formula properly. Therefore your body will not be performing its natural restorative process while you sleep, but rather will be concerned with undigested foods and will actually be storing fat from the continuing digestive process rather than burning fat as the energy for the deep sleep restorative process.

This tends to put us into a "diet circle of frustration". The less time your body spends in deep restful sleep (without competing digestion), the less time it has to restore its natural health, and the less fat that is burned in support of this natural rebuilding process.

Now we understand how deep restful sleep and weight loss often go hand in hand with our overall health.

Reducing or eliminating the intake of food three hours before bedtime allows the body to use its natural fat reserves for metabolic fuel during the deep restorative sleep cycle.

Collagen weight loss products build on this process

Natural collagen supplements enable the natural process to help people lose weight and be more naturally healthy. For instance, the product called Lose and Snooze consists of a blend of Collagen, L-Carnitine and Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera). The Collagen contributes to a more youthful appearance, greater flexibility, and all round mobility and strength.

The collagen supplement also enhances the deep sleep necessary to enable your body's natural metabolic functions to occur, like when we were children. The second ingredient, L-Carnitine promotes the burning of fat in support of the natural rebuilding, restorative process that occurs during deep sleep. And Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) contains numerous nutrients and amino acids that help create a healthy environment in support of your body's ability to create its own collagen.

Many users of collagen supplements like Lose and Snooze have reported good results. But researchers stress that going to bed on an empty stomach is an integral part of the therapy. Many users report that using a collagen formula in combination with an empty stomach before bedtime, has been beneficial to their general health and has helped them naturally lose weight.

And because collagen supplements only help lose excess fat (while rebuilding muscle), they can be used by anybody -- not just people wanting to lose weight. They have also been beneficial to folks who want to enjoy better sleep, build lean muscle, improve their appearance and reshape their body while maintaining their proper healthy weight.