The Sleeping Beauty Diet is a drastic fad diet that is more than a little bit risky to follow but that continues to come back into popularity every now and again after disappearing for some time. It becomes exceptionally popular for very brief bursts before disappearing into obscurity once more, giving people enough time to forget about it before it shows up again.

What is the Sleeping Beauty Diet?

The concept behind this extreme weight loss strategy is that medications and supplements are used to sedate yourself. This allows you to become very tired or even fall asleep for an extended period of time, making it possible for you to skip several meals without having to suffer through the feeling of being hungry.

The Sleeping Beauty Diet saw its first wave of popularity in the 1960s. At that time, it took off as a result of a mention of the notion in a popular novel that had been released, called the “Valley of the Dolls.” Back then, there were a striking number of people who gave this diet an attempt, despite its extreme nature. In fact, there are rumors that Elvis Presley once tried to follow this strategy to lose weight.

The primary – and rather obvious – drawback to this diet is that medications are used to drug yourself long enough so that you can sleep through the weight loss and all its struggles, waking up thinner and more attractive. This entire premise is clearly ridiculous and, as most people might imagine, it is quite a dangerous practice. Moreover, even if someone should use it without becoming ill, they would still suffer from a much slower metabolism in combination with the symptoms of dehydration.

Someone practicing this diet takes a number of very dangerous risks with his or her health. To start, dabbling with sleeping pills to try to cause a continuous and lengthy sleep is a dangerous practice in and of itself. It could lead to addiction and places the individual at a risk of overdose. While the individual is asleep, dehydration is a serious concern. This doesn’t just mean that the individual will wake up thirsty. Instead, it means that severe damage can be done to the body’s organs and systems. In fact, practicing this diet even risks causing the organs to begin shutting down. Practicing this diet, particularly for any length of time, could be a fatal move.

If you are considering the Sleeping Beauty Diet for any length of time at all, it is very important to speak with a doctor first.