Impact of zzz's

Sleep Sleep Sleep!! Sounds great doesn’t it, especially for those that have issues with it. If you are having a hard time sleeping it can affect your health goals, in others words it can make your progress slower.


The way your body metabolize carbohydrates is affected by your sleep, they are not metabolized at the rate they would be if you were well rested. This can also lead to craving carbohydrates when you are tired and of course the ones we tend to crave are “junk foods”. Why? They are carbohydrates that are released faster into the bloodstream. What happens next? Your insulin resistance grows and stores more fats and sugars instead of processing it like is should, this can lead to weight gain.


When we are tired, it affects our mood, how we handle stress, our energy, and our ability to think clearly. This added stress then makes it harder to get a good night's rest. Studies have shown that cortisol increases when we are sleep deprived.


Most times exercise will improve your sleep quality. Everyone is different so the type of workout and when you perform it is really individualized. Some studies have found that exercise has improved the quality of your sleep, as in the amount of time spent in REM, total time slept, and how fast you fall asleep.
Exercise stimulate and releases growth hormones during the night which will help with muscle repair and development. If your goals are to put on muscle mass or even to lose weight by toning up, then this is important.


The takeaway, sleep plays a vital role in your everyday living activities and your workouts. Finding out why you are having a hard time sleeping takes time. I suggest starting with a sleep journal and seeing if you can find a common thread in it. Do some research on the issue and see if there is something your nightly routine that may be throwing you off, is it a health condition, or is it something you are eating. If you need help breaking things down, contact me and we will talk.


Check out these links that I found some useful and used as research, also below are some books that were recommended.
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Websites:
https://www.tuck.com/Sleep-And-Athletes/
https://www.tuck.com/exercise-and-sleep/
Start at timestamp 43:23
http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/Going-Deep-on-Sleep-with-Brandon-Marcello-Episode-235.cfm

Books:
Take A Nap, Change Your Life
The Promise of Sleep
Sleep Revolution