Have you ever had those nights when you cannot wait get to bed, but when you get there you do not fall asleep?
Or you wake in the middle of the night with your mind working out some issue from the previous or upcoming day?
You lay there frustrated knowing that you need your sleep for the day ahead, and yet you are awake for hours!
Our hectic American lifestyle could be to blame for your lack of sleep…and you are not alone. There is a generally accepted epidemic of sleep deprivation across the country.
With our busy schedules, and the ever-increasing social expectations surrounding us on a daily basis, we seem to be spending less and less time in bed.
This is because there never seems to be enough time in a day to get everything we “need” to do done, so we find ourselves rising earlier and going to bed later…
Which might not seem like a big deal … but the reality of the situation is that your sleeping habits can impact your energy levels, memory, physique, and performance.
👉 Fun Fact: one night without sleep can leave you performing like you were legally drunk at a blood alcohol content of .08 percent.
If you’re sleeping poorly on most nights, the negative effects could be worse.
THE IMPACT OF POOR QUALITY SLEEP
There are many health problems that can be associated with chronic sleep deprivation.
👉 It can cause you to feel irritable and experience mood swings, be more susceptible to colds and flu, reduce your ability to deal with stress, and increase your chances of having depression and anxiety.
Most aspects of life are highly dependent upon sleep.
A number of studies have reported changes to hormone levels and recently, how many calories your body burns the day after an ‘all-nighter’.
Large, long-term research studies regularly show that decreases in how much you sleep each night progressively increases your risk of developing obesity and diabetes-related complications.
One of those studies showed that women who sleep less than five hours each night had the highest body weights of women in the study.
In comparison, women who slept a normal amount (7-8 hours) had what was considered to be a normal body weight.
POOR SLEEP QUALITY AND FOOD INTAKE
While many theories exist, a number of studies have reported that being low on sleep increases the level of ghrelin, particularly in the early morning hours.
Ghrelin is a hormone that is produced mostly in your stomach that signals your body to be hungry and decreases how many calories are burned by the body.
Scientists feel like these increases are some of the first cues by the body to help compensate for the lack of sleep and stress placed on the body as a result of low levels of sleep.
👉 Studies show that imposed short-term decreases in sleep increase the total amount of food consumed over a 24-hour period. This increase mainly consisted of snack foods, which could be characterized as calorically dense and lacking nutrients your body needs.
POOR SLEEP QUALITY AND ACTIVITY LEVELS
In addition, studies have also shown that when the body is sleep-deprived, natural levels of physical activity (which burns calories) are decreased.
Makes sense right?
I know when I’m exhausted, I tend to not move around as much. These changes all lead to a greater calorie surplus (you’re eating more calories, and burning less calories) which over time increases body mass and levels of body fat.
A recent study reported that just one night of complete sleep deprivation decreases energy expenditure by 5% at rest, but this decrease was 4 times greater after a meal was consumed, and resulted in a 20% reduction in the number of calories being burned by the body.
There are pretty consistent findings to show that not getting enough sleep is a surefire way to stress your body and minimize your chances of reaching your health and physique goals.
👉 Putting on pounds of muscle or losing fat can be challenging enough, and depriving yourself of quality sleep makes it even more challenging.
QUALITY VS. QUANTITY
The quality of sleep we get is crucial, not just the quantity.
Sleep consists of two types of slumber: REM sleep includes rapid eye movement and dreaming, while non-REM sleep includes four stages from light to deep sleep.
Each night you pass through 4-6 cycles of REM and non-REM sleep.
👉 It is in these deeper stages of sleep that the body restores itself, giving you that refreshed feeling. As we age, we typically spend less time getting in stage-four, which negatively impacts our overall health and well-being.
7 STRATEGIES FOR MASTERING YOUR SLEEP
If you want to set your body up for the best sleep results as possible, making quality sleep a priority in your life is a great place to start.
What can you start doing today to increase your sleep quality?
- Limit Your Caffeine Intake In the Afternoon – Avoid caffeine, pre-workout with stimulants and caffeinated tea before bed.
- Exercise Daily (Preferably NOT Before Bed) – Partaking in daily exercise will help you fall asleep easier and improve your sleep quality. The morning or early afternoon are the best time to get a workout in without disturbing your sleep at night. If you usually train in the evening, I recommend creating time after your workout to help your body wind down (meditation, stretching, etc.)
- Cool and Dark Bedroom – If you are too hot or cold while sleeping it can cause a restless night. The best temperature for sleeping is between 60°F and 67°F, as it can vary for every individual. Try to keep your bedroom cool by using a ceiling fan and blocking out light with room darkening blinds or curtains. You can also take a cool shower to help your body cool down prior to bed.
- Supplementation – Utilizing supplements with proven ingredients to help with relaxation and calming of the mind and body can improve sleep quality. I prefer to use SLEEP from Morphogen Nutrition.
- Don’t Force It – When sleep does not come easy, get out of bed, go into another room, and engage in some type of quiet activity until you feel tired again (no television or screens).
- Watch What You Eat – Eating before bed, particularly lean protein sources, can have many benefits for fat loss and muscle growth, just make sure you don’t over-do it. A protein shake is a great option to give your body some fuel and high-quality protein as it goes into repair and recovery mode of restful sleep, without making you uncomfortably full. Eating too much before bed can cause restlessness due to indigestion.
- Limit Screen Time —It can be easy to scroll through social media, or watch television until you go to bed. However, screen time can be detrimental to your body’s ability to get restful sleep. Limiting screen time before bed, having a social media curfew, or even investing in blue-light blocking glasses can help.
Ultimately, sleep is an important aspect of your life to allow your body to work effectively and recover appropriately. The negative impact of low quality and quantity of sleep will be felt in many all areas of your life including your overall health, mood, performance at work and in personal activities, and your body composition.
If it’s time for you to change your life by improving your sleep habits, click the button to talk about how I can make that happen with you.
