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What is one thing that we all know we need more of, but oftentimes struggle hard to consistently get enough of?
If you guessed sleep, you are CORRECT.
But how serious is that recommendation, really?
I would argue, sleep takes priority to “the perfect training and/ or nutrition plan”.
Because, the amount of sleep we do or don’t get directly correlates to how our body will adapt, adjust, and compensate throughout our days and weeks. Which will lead to a) promoting positive habits or b) creating negative patterns.
Here’s a few shocking points, just to get the blood flowing…
- In just two weeks of getting six hours of sleep or less per night, the performance drop is the same as in someone who has gone 24 hours without sleep.
- 24 hours of sleep deprivation is the equivalent of a blood alcohol level of 0.1 % which is higher than the legal driving limit.
- The longer you are awake, the longer it takes to get back on track. For example, 1 hour of sleep loss requires 4 days to recover/ get back into sync.
- Going to bed earlier = better than sleeping in, because, the goal is to get back on track asap (the longer we go on less sleep = worse + longer to recover)
- We are more likely to have trouble with consistent sleep patterns if we do not get enough sunlight in our day. Sunlight during the day helps our body to produce melatonin naturally, which aids in quality sleep.*melatonin is also an anti-aging + detoxifying hormone*
Why does sleep play such a vital role to us?
Our commitment to (or lack of) getting adequate sleep (ideally 7.5-8 hr/ night for women) is either going to hurt us or help us on our way to reaching our wellness goals.
How it can hurt us:
Increased appetite, especially for non satiating foods like sugars and simple carbs. It quite literally increases our Ghrelin hormones (that tell us we are hungry), and decreases our levels of leptin (which tell us we are full).
Unwanted weight gain + inflammation.
Less energy + lack of motivation for the positive activities we aim for (the gym, walks, eating whole meals).
Less patience/ level thinking, more apt to experience unhealthy stress from otherwise normal situations. Stress raises our cortisol levels (blood sugar distribution) which can disrupt many of our body’s primary functions + potentially leading to anxiety, depression, diabetes and or heart disease.
How adequate sleep HELPS us:
Our bodies get to recover properly, rebuilding muscle tissue (GAINS) + recharging the brain, our ability to troubleshoot + our motor skills.
BOOSTS our immune system so that we can fight off anything that is a threat to our health.
Improves our memory.
Our ability to regulate how much and what we are eating improves and tends to stay in much better alignment with our goals due to less cravings.
So, we are reminded yet again to “get more sleep”. Shall we go through some tactics for actually getting not only more, but better quality sleep?
Great, I was hoping you would say yes!
First off, improving your sleep patterns is going to require 3 things from you:
Preparation
Communication
Boundaries
It’s pretty simple and straightforward. But, simple does NOT mean easy.
Brief pause for an encouragement from Benjamin Franklin:
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
I share that because, to improve at anything in our life, we’ve got to be real honest + take some massive ownership to our current patterns and priorities (or lack of).
Preparation:
Any kind of preparation begins with commitment to what you are doing. I.e. If you’re going to “get more sleep”, COMMIT to it first, don’t allow excuses to slip in.
Plan with your hard timelines that currently exist. I.e. if you have to be at work by 9am, and you need an hour to get ready + 30 min to get there…do the math WITH your 7-8 hours of sleep added in.
Set the tone for peaceful sleep. These are my top 4 ways:
1. Get the sleep gear that you need (face mask, ear plugs, white noise etc.).
2. Close all loops from your day whether work, or personal. This could include journaling/ brain dumping or reviewing your calendar for the next day.
3. Do your best to stop eating or drinking at least an hour before you sleep. (This helps digestion to NOT disrupt our sleep).
4. No screens (TV or phone) at LEAST 30 min prior to bed, yes, that's right, no phones in bed (:
Communication:
Communicate with at least your partner/ spouse about your sleep goals and why you’ve set them. This helps to solidify your own commitment.
Boundaries:
Be clear and firm with your choice to prioritize sleep, with family and friends alike.
Realize that there are 100% going to be times that you’ll need to make game-time decisions on whether or not to go out to “x,y, or z”, or to stick to your plan of sleep prioritization. Keeping in mind that, it’s not just “losing sleep one night”, instead, it’s thinking of it as being less productive for at least the following day which can cost you.
In ANY choice that we make it’s crucial to ask ourselves this:
“Is this going to get me closer to my goals, to that ideal version of myself that I desire…
Or, is this going to get me further from my goals?”
The choice is always yours.
Here are my favorite game-changing sleep necessities:
(I don’t get any kind of commission on these, they just get the job done.)
Face Mask:
Earplugs:
Magnesium Supplement:
This is just one of the many ways that I help clients transform their lifestyle. It’s extremely rewarding to develop muscles of change both physically and mentally.
When you’re ready, I’m here for you!
Pursue Your Best,
Candice