If your eating and exercise is on point, but you still feel like you are ‘struggling’ to get to where you want to be, then poor sleep may be to blame.
We live such busy days now, and generally society has us thinking around the whole - ‘work hard play hard’ mentality. But the truth is, sleep is SO SO powerful!
Believe it or not, everything from feeling bummed out, sluggish during workouts, or just sluggish in general can be attributed to poor sleep - A poor diet is not always to blame.
So on the flip, sharp thinking, good decision making, proper digestion, and increased performance is heavily dependent on getting good quality sleep.
So how much is enough? Well as adults we want to be aiming for at least 7 hours sleep per night - and that is good sleep, in order to keep your risk of health problems in check.
So aside from counting how many hours you ‘think’ you are asleep, how can we tell if we are getting enough?
Your mind is foggy What we experience and learn gets cemented in memory while we sleep. Interference can cause - Reduced alertness - Confusion - Impaired judgement - Forgetfulness
You get sick a lot When we don't sleep enough, Inflammation goes up causing - Vulnerability to viruses - Risk of heart disease and other inflammation related illnesses
Your workouts feel extra hard Sleep offers the opportunity to refresh our neurotransmitters. Of this doesn't happen.. - We have decreased nervous system activity (we feel weaker) - Slower reaction time - Low energy - Depressed mood - Reduced desire to exercise
You may feel unhappy While we sleep we produce fresh neurotransmitters and regulate hormones. Interference can cause… - Crazy emotions - Heightened stress - Low mood - Possible increase in risk of depression
You may struggle with your weight Poor sleep is linked to excess body fat… because it can… - Disrupt appetite regulation - Cause you to feel hungrier - Which can lead to increased calorie intake - In turn… excess body fat can disrupt sleep
So now we know how important sleep is for life in general, how do we give ourselves the best chance of achieving 7+ hours of sleep per night?
Be awakened by light
This naturally raises cortisol - which in the morning is a good thing. The slow rise makes you feel alert and relaxed
Get moving straight away. Go workout, stretch, walk. Do not hit the snooze button. You will only feel worse!
Find the sun - Light exposure sets your melatonin levels (the sleep hormone) so your body gets itself in a good rhythm
Be careful of alcohol and caffeine at bedtime - consuming caffeine after 2pm can interrupt sleep. As can more than 1-2 drinks in the evening. Also it’s worth noting that alcohol can reduce the quality of sleep.
Don’t eat a really heavy meal in the evening. Make sure this meal has minimally processed carbs fats and proteins. Plus its worth having those slow digesting carbs as they can make you feel sleepy
Limit fluids. Now this is a balancing act between keeping hydrated but not too much so that your sleep is interrupted and you have to go to the loo!
Clear your mind - Whatever you are thinking, get it out of your head and onto some paper, or talk with a friend
Get the SH*T to bed! How can you expect to fall asleep if you are still roaming around doing jobs?! Every hours sleep before midnight is worth two hours after.
Dont stress if you are not getting enough now. Just try and aim for better. Most adults need between 7-9 hours. So if you think you are getting less just aim for better. An extra 10 minutes here and there.
Here are some more tips…
1) Turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed - Artificial light interferes with out melatonin levels
2) Keep your bedroom cool
3) Make the room as dark as possible
4) Take a cool shower before bed
5) De-stress - read, walk, do some yoga. Release that tension
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