Is sleep deprivation effecting your overall health, performance or weight loss??

Ok in my last blog I mentioned loss of sleep can effect your ability to lose weight, or in fact cause you to gain unnecessary fat, so todays blog is all about SLEEP.... Ask yourself these questions to see if you fit into the sleep deprive category....

• Need an alarm clock to wake?
• Rely on the snooze button?
• Hard time getting out of bed in the morning?
• Sluggish in the afternoons?
• Sleepy at meetings, lectures or in warm rooms?
• Nap during the day?
• Fall asleep watching movies or tv?
• Sleep in on weekends?
• Asleep within 5mins of going to bed?

If you have answered yes to 2 or more of the questions it may pay to read on!

Just as exercise and nutrition is necessary for optimal health health so is catching your ZZZZZZs. Quality of sleep effects mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality and your body weight...

Poor sleep patterns are said to contribute towards many health risks and studies show that sleep deprivation is linked to obesity in all age groups, high blood pressure and a struggling immune system.

Due to todays demanding lifestyles people are more likely to sleep less than 6hrs per night. 75% of people suffer sleep difficulties and chronic sleep loss. To be in the healthy range 7.5-9hrs of quality sleep is required. I'd be careful not to over sleep though as this can also effect your health. It has been proven that poor sleep habits can double your risks of developing heart disease this is said to be because you are more likely to become insulin resistant and/or have elevated blood pressure, both of which effect your cardiovascular health.

Sleep deprivation will also lower your levels of testosterone, DHEA and HGH (human growth hormone) all important for repairing muscle tissue..... We produce HGH during deep sleep stages (HGH keeps us youthful) so also important to prevent premature ageing...

Sleep consists of a series of distinct cycles and stages that restore and refresh your body and mind. Even minimal sleep loss effects mood, energy and efficiency.

The hormones Leptin and Grehlin control appetite and weight gain/loss. Leptin signals that we are full, whilst Grehlin increases appetite. Sleep deprivation causes overall levels of Grehlin to increase along with appetite, especially for refined carbohydrates. Levels of leptin decrease, so we don't feel satisfied after eating either.
One of the worst problems with sleep deprivation is the increase in the levels of cortisol (stress hormone) which reduces muscle mass which will effectively slow your metabolic rate!

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF SLEEP

• Sleep in a bat cave and reduce any unnecessary noise! Make sure no light will get in the way of your circadian rhythm. Try to get your body use to shutting down and waking at similar times each night. Changes in season will effect your sleep patterns if the room has light coming in.

• Have a pre sleep routine! Whether its reading a book, having a grateful log (writing down 10 things that you are grateful for in that day has proven effects on lessening your stress levels and improving sleep quality), deep diaphragmatic breathing, calming music, static stretching all these can have a huge impact on you sleep quality.

• Minimise refined sugars and grains; sugars will hike blood sugar levels and create a reactive hypoglycaemia whilst grains especially refined sources contain gluten allergens which cause your body produce cortisol.

• Take Alpha-GPC in the morning, this regenerates the pituitary gland which will increase HGH which will aid with fat burning and preserving lean muscle. Other handy supplements would be melatonin, valerian root and if you're deficient in magnesium and zinc best be heading to the health store.

• Don't have electronic devices in your bedroom, if you use an alarm clock try using one which is battery operated if possible. If your alarm clock has a bright light face away or cover with towel.

• Try not to do high intensity workouts within three hours of sleep. Your body requires sufficient time to recover from exercise and get back to its natural homeostasis.

Hope this blog is useful to assisting your ability to reach optimal health just by gaining a little bit extra sleep. Remember: No activity delivers so many benifits with so little effort! If you have any pre-sleep routines or tips that work for you please feel free to post!