Hear from a Fitness Coach on Why Sleep Matters

You probably have a routine for charging your phone. It could be as soon as you get back from work or while you are watching TV or before you sleep. Even before the battery hits the red zone we remember to plug in the charging. We prioritize the recharge our phone needs but what about our body?

Sleep is the body's way to recharge and regain energy. Are you paying your sleep the attention it needs?

In todays world, we have so many demands on our time and in keeping with it, sleep often gets compromised. In fact when it comes to fitness, we are quick to think of exercise and diet but ignore the importance of sleep. Sleep affects both mental and physical health and is vital to your well-being.

How Sleep Affects Body & Brain?

Sleep offers the body and brain time to restore and repairs body on cellular levels maintaining hormonal balances and health of immune system.

Inadequate sleep levels can adversely affect our most basic vitals. Research proves that lack of sleep is linked to increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases. When you are asleep, your body’s heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure rise and fall to maintain cardiovascular health.

Your body releases hormones that help repair cells and controls use of energy. All of this can impact how you store fat and gain muscle.

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Sleep services the brain at molecular levels, affecting energy balance, intellectual functioning, mood, alertness and our operating levels. Well rested people operate at higher levels than sleep deprived individuals. Getting adequate amounts of sleep help you think clearly, have improved focus levels and better reflexes. Lack of sleep can hamper your reasoning, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Prolonged sleep deprivation increases the risk for developing mental illnesses such as depression and disturbing cognitive abilities.

Sleep specialists have discovered that during sleep, the brain changes functions and acts like a kidney to remove toxins and waste.

In an experiment conducted on mice, it was revealed that brain drainage system removed proteins linked with Alzheimer’s disease twice as fast when in a state of sleep.

?How Sleep Affects Your Eating Habits?

Sleep can be the crucial element that dictates eating habits.

Without enough sleep, people tend to overeat and choose unhealthy foods. Sleep deprivation affects the body’s release of ghrelin and leptin. Leptin suppresses hunger and ghrelin stimulates appetite.

If your body is not getting enough sleep, your ghrelin levels will rise and leptin levels will drop meaning you will be drawn towards hi calorie food.

Sleeping well can ensure these neurotransmitters are signaling in a healthy direction and ensure you have a regulated appetite.

?How Sleep Affects Your Workout?

You don’t only need sufficient sleep for energy to exercise but also for the muscle tissue repair time between workouts. With healthy amounts of sleeping, you will naturally be more active, less prone to gym accidents and be able to push harder in each workout.

Sleep is necessary for the muscle growth you are working hard in the gym for.

In the state of sleep, growth hormone is released that stimulates cell reproduction and regeneration and also speeds up metabolism.

Resting well can lower the levels of Cortisol which is a stress hormone. With too much cortisol you can have trouble gaining muscle and losing fat. Lower cortisol levels means that body will not store fat.

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How to Improve Sleep?

Healthy sleep encompasses three aspects. One is the amount of sleep. Another is the quality of your sleep and the last is a consistent sleep schedule. Below I have listed down few ways in which you can get better sleep:

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1. Get natural day light exposure during day. This maintains your natural time keeping clock called circadian rhythm and not only helps you stay awake but also tells body when its time to sleep.
2. Limit exposure to bright lights during nighttime especially closer to bed time. Avoid the use of mobile devices and television nearer to bedtime as it decreases melatonin which is the sleep and rest hormone.
3. Don’t consume caffeine late in the day. Caffeine can help boost energy while taken during daytime but in the later hours, it can lead to difficulty in falling asleep and poorer sleep quality. Stick to decaf if you wish to consume it in evening.
4. Avoid irregular nap times during day. A short power nap not more than 30 minutes can improve your functioning but longer naps can impair night time sleep quality.
5. Optimize bedroom environment by setting a suitable temperature and make sure you have a comfortable bed. Eliminate extra noise and lights in the sleeping area. Have a pre sleep routine that could include meditation or reading a book to improve your sleep.
6. Limit alcohol consumption as consuming alcohol before bedtime can decrease the surge in growth hormone that naturally occurs during sleep.
7. Develop a regular exercise routine as physical activity can reduce the time it requires to fall asleep and ensures you go into deep sleep. Exercising regularly can help you with sleeping better but avoid working out late at night or before bedtime as it can increase alertness and disturb sleep.
8. Consult with a professional for suitable supplements. There are many healthy supplements that can aid you in sleeping. A recent study shows that a slow digesting protein, like?casein, taken 30 minutes before can?increase your protein synthesis by 22%.?This means that your muscles actually repair themselves a little bit better if you chug some protein before bed. I prescribe supplements to my clients as part of their nutrition plans as well. Reach out to me if you are looking for a wholesome plan.
9. Plan and schedule, not just your workout days and timings but also the exact times for your rest. Having a consistent and regular sleep/wake cycle can aid long term sleep quality.

? Diet, Exercise and Sleep are the three ingredients to a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. Each affects the other and through proper guidance you can optimize the use of all these elements for a healthy mind and body.

I am here to help and guide you on your transformation journey.

Reach out to me via email on [email protected] and we can book you in for a free consultation.

Christian Williams

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Christian Williams is a global body transformation coach hailing from Wales and settled in Dubai. In 2017, he founded?Christian Williams Physique Transformation?which offers in-personal and?online coaching programs. However, how his programs differ is that each nutrition and training plan is individualized to a clients' requirements instead of providing a blanket program. He compliments his programs with weekly check-ins to ensure clients are progressing in the right direction. Christian has accumulated over 16 years of experience, knowledge, and education in the fitness industry and uses it to help as many people as he can. Christian was awarded Silver PT of the Year by the prestigious Middle East Fit Awards in November 2020.

With a practical background of competing in a variety of bodybuilding competitions since 2008, he has also won titles of Mr. Wales, Mr. England, Mr. London - to name a few. Through his articles, he aims to mentor personal trainers and pass on his learnings, accumulated over the years, in order for them to become the best versions of themselves so they help their clients achieve their goals.

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