I think we all know that there is an importance of sleep, however we don’t necessarily know why it is important and just how much it affects us.
With the demands of a modern day lifestyle we are constantly trying to fit more and more things into the same number of hours in a day. Often one of the first things to be cut back on when we are short on time is our sleep.
Sleep is important not only because we feel a lot better once we have had some sleep but also for a number of other reasons;
- Sleep helps to stabilise your blood sugar levels and consequently helps to reduce cravings.
- Builds your muscles, your muscles recover when sleeping due to growth hormones being released.
- Helps to reduce your stress levels. Have you ever had one of those days where everything anyone does annoys you? Sleep may well have had an affect (mind you, the person could also have just been mega annoying).
- Adequate sleep helps to regulate your serotonin levels. High serotonin levels help to create the feeling of happiness, and low serotonin levels can make us vulnerable to depression. Sleep really does make you feel happier.
- Lack of sleep has been associated with weight gain, this is largely due to the reduction in cravings and not feeling like a zombie and reaching for the first food you find.
I don’t know about you but if I don’t get enough sleep the next day I find myself in a zombie like state craving ALL the bad foods. The last few times I’ve had less sleep than normal I’ve been craving McDonalds (I haven’t physically craved McD’s in at least a couple of years) or any form of sugar I can get my hands on. This frame of mind is not ideal for making healthy choices and I can see why prolonged lack of sleep can often lead to weight gain.
The optimal number of hours sleep has been debated for years and I imagine we will never get a concrete one size fits all answer to the question of how much sleep is enough? However most studies conclude that 7-9 hours sleep is optimal, this of course depends on each individual person. If 7 hours works well for you, you feel strong and recover well then that is likely to be enough sleep for you. On the other hand you may be the type of person that needs 9 hours sleep to feel strong and recover well.
Getting adequate sleep is especially important for those of us who are active. If you’ve ever heard the saying “muscles are torn in the gym, fed in the kitchen and built in bed” you may know that if you are wanting to maximize your ‘gains’ you need to ensure you get enough rest. While you sleep your body is releasing growth hormones that are necessary for muscle and tissue repair.
If your struggling to get to sleep at night there are a few things you can do to help unwind;
- Ditch the technology – for at least an hour before bedtime make sure you do something that does not involve sitting on your phone, laptop or ipad.
- Regulate your bedtimes – Try to get to sleep at the same time every night, this helps the body to get into a routine.
- Pour yourself a cup of tea – a relaxing cup of camomile or kava tea will help you to relax and put you in a sleepy mood ready to drift off into dreamland.
- Blacken out your room – try to minimize any light that is coming in to your bedroom as best you can as the light can signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up rather than go to sleep.
- Do some exercise during the day – this will help to expend excess energy and make you tired at bed time.
- Have a nice hot bath just before bed – this helps to raise your blood temperature slightly which then rapidly cools once you get out which simulates the natural temperature drop that occurs in the brain when it prepares for sleep.
- Try a natural sleep supplement – if your still struggling to sleep then consider trying a natural sleep supplement such as Red Seal Sleep Easy.
If you have tried all of the above and your not getting a better sleep I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor and see if they can help get to the bottom of why you are not sleeping. Remember getting a good nights sleep is very important for your overall health.
I have a little giveaway over on our Move Love Eat Facebook page for a bottle of the Red Seal Sleep Easy supplements if you are interested in trying them please do head on over from 7pm on the 10th August 2014 for your chance to be in to win.
How many hours sleep do you generally get???