Go to Bed!
"Who needs sleep?"
All of us, in fact, and the majority of Americans are not getting the recommended 7-9 hours per night!
If you just read "7-9 hours" and laughed or thought "Yeah, right, not happening," keep reading. Sleep is important, and if you don't get enough, it can have serious implications for your overall health (not to mention any weight loss goals you might have!)
And just so we're perfectly clear, "Get Enough Sleep" is the oneKey to Better Healththat I struggle with most. I'm a night owl by nature, and a culture that glorifies busy-ness and overwork at the expense of sleep means I've run on too little sleep too many nights to count!
Why does it matter? Let's dive in...
Why is sleep important?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sleep is as essential for the human body as food, water, and oxygen. We literally can't live without it!
Carl Hunt, MD, Director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the NIH, says: "Sleep is just as important for overall health as diet and exercise."
During sleep, our brains process information and forms new pathways. It helps us learn and remember new things and helps us make better decisions and stay focused when we're awake.
Getting enough sleep is also essential for healing and repair of the heart and blood vessels -- going too long on too little sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and other conditions.
Sleep also allows our muscles to repair after workouts, and skipping sleep time can make our workouts feel harder and keep us feeling sore for longer.
Skipping sleep can compromise immune response, our body's ability to fight off common illnesses and infections.
Sleep helps our bodies regulate hormones, which can affect everything from fertility to appetite! Studies have shown that when we're sleep deprived, we're more likely to feel hungry thanks to an increase in the hormone ghrelin. We're also less likely to make sound decisions, which can lead to unhealthy eating or overeating that can contribute to weight gain.
[Read more from the NIH on sleep.]
[Check out this visual from Precision Nutrition.]
[Study on sleep, hormones, and weight gain.]
How to get more quality sleep
First, let me just acknowledge that sometimes, it will be nearly impossible to get an adequate amount of high-quality sleep, especially if you have a new baby, you're working odd shifts, etc.
Aside from those circumstances, most of us just need to start by actually trying to go to sleep!
Studies have shown that while we might think we have too much work and either can't "afford" to sleep or can't settle our brains enough to rest, the real cause of most sleep deprivation is "voluntary bedtime delay." [Source]
The cure? Turn your damn tv/phone off and go to bed!
Creating a sleep ritual to help wind down before bed, including turning down the lights (and light from devices!) and creating a dark, quiet environment. [More sleep tips here and here.]
And just as your sleep affects how you feel and function while you're awake, what you do during the day will impact how well you sleep. Avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, getting outside during the day, exercising (but not too close to bedtime), and sticking with a consistent sleep schedule will all facilitate better sleep.
The bottom line...
If you think you don't need sleep, you're not alone, but you're also wrong.
We all need sleep, and we need much more than we're currently getting.
(Me included!)
If you're struggling to stay motivated to get to the gym, if your workouts feel extra hard, if it's hard to resist cravings, and if you're not getting the results you think you should -- lack of sleep could be the reason why!
Not getting enough is not a badge of honor! It can undo all the incredible benefits of eating healthy and exercising, so get some rest!
(And if you do suffer from sleep disorders or difficulty sleeping due to external circumstances like working night shift, please consult your physician to get additional guidance and support.)
