Hi guys
So it seems that I hear all of the time that my clients struggle with sleep
variations of not falling asleep, waking in the night and not being able to go back, disturbed, poor sleep
And sleep deprivation can be a killer!
You feel awful the next day, moody, low energy, short tempered and craving sugary, fatty, salty foods
How and when you sleep is an extremely powerful, lifestyle choice
People who have great quality and quantity sleep are leaner, happier, more energetic and overall healthier
At sleep your hormones reset, which aids recovery and recuperation drastically
Whether your muscles are repairing from a workout, or your body is recovering from major surgery
Also the balance back of cortisol (stress hormone) insulin (blood sugar regulator) and Leptin (hunger hormone)
These hormones are rising throughout the day, with each meal
So at night it’s vital they reset
Our lives are very crazy, busy these days and we are constantly under stress, whether it be a full time job, family and a few children
or illness, death and family problems
The brain cannot distinguish between the severity of these stresses, so respond in the same way
Stress cause a rise in Cortisol, which naturally pumps sugar into the body, in return Insulin will respond to lower the blood sugar
However, again this is not regulated and too much sugar can be removed
thus causing us to crave sugar again
If we have enough willpower to not give into this low sugar feeling, then Cortisol kicks in again releasing more sugar
As you can see this vicious cycle continues
So if this is going on in the body all day, you can see how important it is for this process to stop and the hormones reset during sleep
Many people watch tv, their phones, ipads etc in bed, which is not the best thing to do
These again raise Cortisol, so sleeping is going to be very difficult, and you continue this cortisol, insulin cycle way too long in the day
Shutting off electronics and LED light in the bedroom is important to switch the brain off and give you the best chance of going to sleep
Remember, Cortisol is a stress hormone and it is a fat storing hormone
So really we want to do all we can to reduce Cortisol and lead a less stressful life
Getting in as much sleep as you can to recover from the stresses of day to day life too
So as you can see poor sleep can cause the all sorts of problems
– Raised Blood sugar
– Anxiety, Depression
– Weight gain
– Mood swings
– Premature aging
– Inhibits muscle growth
During sleep our growth promoting hormones, human growth hormone and Testosterone are elevated, so muscle repair and building is done here
Time is needed for the switch that was caused during the day of stress, and fat storing to fat burning, muscle building during the night
So a minimum 8 hours is important for this to all take place
And this needs to be done in the dark
Our physiology is programmed to sleep after sunset and wake at sunrise, as the light stimulates hormones that get us up in the morning
So going to sleep at 12 and waking at 8, does NOT have the same hormonal reset effect that going to bed by 10 does
Your hormonal rest programme will only work until it gets light, so in this case you will stop the process too early, not getting the maximum health benefit needed from sleep
So as you can see guys, all in all, sleep is vitally important for a healthy mind and body and for optimal health
If you are someone who struggles to sleep, then doing breathing techniques, meditation before bed will help, as well as taking a long soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts to relax your body
Quietening the mind is the main thing, and something we all fail to do
So using the meditation will help you to do this
For help with basic breathing techniques, check out my video on YouTube
And for further tips, advice and support join my FREE facebook group Lifeshaper
Sofrom now start being more mindful, start managing your stress better, and ensuring you get adequate sleep
Have a great weekend guys
Keep fit, happy and healthy. Invest in yourself, remember health is wealth
Emma xx