Sleep is important when it comes to losing body fat or gaining muscle. A chronic lack of quality sleep can increase body fat, age us a lot faster, lower testosterone (key hormone for muscle building), and make us more prone to chronic illnesses.
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain which signals our body that it’s time to sleep. If we’re constantly on our phones up to 1am in the morning, we’re actually dysregulating our hormones by forcing ourselves to stay up looking at a bright light! No wonder we feel sluggish and need eight cups of coffee the next day!
If we put real effort into getting quality sleep, our results will significantly increase ten-fold on so many physical and emotional levels. We’ll see improvements in our health, performance, mental focus, and energy.
- Sleep for at least 8-9 hours without waking up at night.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
- Limit or remove caffeine and alcohol.
- Leave your mobile phone outside the bedroom and get a basic alarm clock.
- No electric devices (phone, TV, tablets, games, checking emails or social media) for a minimum of 1-2 hours before bed.
- Make your room as dark as possible, like a bat cave – use blackout curtains and no standby or flashing lights.
- Read a relaxing book or listen to a short, relaxing, guided meditation on headspace.com or on a phone app 30mins before getting into bed.
- Keep your room cool, not too warm.
- Reduce liquid consumption (water, teas etc.) 3 hours before bed.
An example would look like this to set a natural body clock:
If you want to get 8 hours of sleep, this will have you asleep by 10pm and awake by 6am:
• 19.00 – Start reducing liquid consumption
• 20.30 – Get off the phone or TV/once listened HEADSPACE meditation
• 21.00 – In bed/ reading a book
• 21.45 – Lights out
• 22.00 – Fall asleep
Sleep is free, yet we always take it for granted when it comes to our body’s composition and optimal health. Make good sleep a priority because it’s so crucial for good health.
Our sleep occurs in multiple stages, going in and out of deeper and lighter sleep cycles. If we wake up too quickly or with loud, annoying alarm, we may feel groggy and disoriented.
Research has found that when people are woken up by gradually increased light levels, they are more relaxed and focused for the day.