Struggling to sleep? Why it's so important and how to improve it.
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I used to be the worlds BEST sleeper until I wasn't. When I hit my 30's my sleep took a huge turn for the worse and it wouldn't' be until my mid 40's that I would get back to sleeping soundly. Keep reading for what was my big shift.
About 97% of us need 7 or more hours of sleep for optimal health and performance. Don't kid yourself into thinking you're a genetic short sleeper as a way to justify your poor habits. It's highly unlikely.
Optimizing sleep could be the golden ticket you've been looking for when it comes to improving your body composition. While so many talk about diet and exercise, a third, and often overlooked component of the body composition puzzle is sleep.
Here's how your sleep habits may be sabotaging your ability to burn fat. ⬇️
1. Getting sufficient, high quality sleep is a free, simple way to not only change your body but improve your health. It's unlikely you're one of the 3% who has so called "short sleep genes".
2. Chronic insufficient sleep can be catastrophic for body composition when combined with a caloric deficit. Mild caloric deficit plus insufficient vs optimal sleep (5.5 hours vs 8.5) decreases % of weight lost as bodyfat by 55% and increases loss of muscle by 60%! That's HUGE!
3. Protein synthesis rates are reduced by sleep restriction which may prevent you from not only building muscle but could result in losing muscle as well.
Simply put, short sleep could be what's holding you back.
Here's 3 tips you can incorporate today to improve your sleep.⬇️
✔️Ditch alcohol. You might think that glass of wine helps you sleep but trust me when I tell you it hinders it. While alcohol might get you to sleep initially, it greatly impacts the quality of your sleep and you'll find yourself wide awake at 3am.
This was my game changer. When I became alcohol free at 44 my sleep improved ten fold.
✔️Create a bedtime routine. This helps prepare the mind and body for sleep. Shut off your phone and TV and create a self care routine prior to getting into bed. I find reading helps me fall asleep and quiet my mind.
✔️Write your to do list on paper before bedtime. If you're like me and are used to doing all the things, writing your to do list down before bed to get it out of your head is a game changer.
And if you think getting good sleep is only about changing your body composition think again. It's important to know that insufficient sleep is associated with increased risk of the most prevalent chronic diseases;
heart attack, stroke, asthma, cancer, arthritis, depression, chronic kidney disease and diabetes to name a few.
If you're a Rockstar sleeper be sure to check out my blog about another huge reason you're not reaching your fitness goals HERE.
Happy sleeping! - Aelie
