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WHY SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT

“NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR NUTRITION IS, NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE IS, IF YOUR SLEEP ISN’T ANY GOOD, THE OTHER TWO DON’T MATTER.”
– JAMES MAAS, PH.D

Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). However, millions of people do not get enough sleep and many suffer from lack of sleep. Surveys conducted by the NSF reveal that at least 40 million Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders and 60% of adults report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more (VeryWellHealth).

New research in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that sleep-deprived brains experience neural glitches that increase sensitivity to pain stimuli and block natural pain relief system. Sleep deprivation can lower immunity, alter cognition, slow reaction time, and lengthen recovery. Until recently, shuteye/success has been a conflicting topic and today, athletes are smartening up, and even hiring sleep consultants.

Here Are a Few Reasons Why You Should Get Sleep 

• Keeps Your Heart Healthy
  • Lack of sleep has been associated with heart disease and stroke risk factors like worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Reduces Stress
  • When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress. The body’s functions are put on high alert, which causes high blood pressure & stress hormones.
• Reduces Inflammation
  • Increased stress hormones caused by lack of sleep raises the level of inflammation in your body. This creates a greater risk for heart-related conditions.
• Makes You More Alert
  • A good night’s sleep helps to make you feel energized and alert the next day. Being engaged and active will make you feel great but will also increase your chances for another good night’s sleep.
• Improves Your Memory
  • During sleep, your brain is processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings, and memories. Sleep plays an important role in a process called memory consolidation freeing up space for future brain use, especially during deep sleep.
• May Help You Lose/Maintain Weight
  • Ever notice you’re more hungry when you get less sleep? Researchers have found that people who sleep fewer than 7 hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. A lack of sleep impacts the balance of appetite hormones in the body and may make you more hungry throughout the day. 
• Helps The Body Repair Itself 
  • Sleep is a time to relax, but it’s also a time during which the body is hard at work repairing damage caused by the day: stress, work, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure.
• Helps Performance & Energy
  • Increased amounts of sleep increases your energy, which helps with overall performance. With added sleep your performance will increase at work, in the gym, and simply performing daily tasks. 
• Increases Your Threshold
  • As noted above, getting more shut-eye at night might actually make you feel less pain and increase your pain threshold. 

If you have trouble falling asleep, it’s great to practice sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is a set of behaviors to help you get ready for bed. Want more information on sleep? Here is an article from Furthermore of 5 Rules to Better Sleep. Overall, sleep is extremely important to your performance, mindset, recovery, memory, and overall health. If you want help with sleep practices, let’s chat more. 

Feel like you get the right amount of sleep and want to apply it?! If you haven’t heard already, I’m offering SPOTS to my new running program where you’ll get: 

• Custom training plan
• Strength workouts
• Nutrition Guidelines
• Hydration Analysis
• Race-prep tips
• Gear & tech education
• Recovery plan
• Custom coaching with me
• Community

Email me for more info if this is something that resonates with you.

Let’s Move!

xx,

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