Sweet Dreams...

You can nail everything with your nutrition and fitness but if you are not getting sleep you will struggle to reach your goals.

Good sleep not only helps us to lose fat/gain muscle, it allows our muscles to recover and repair, and to regulate our blood sugar.

If you sleep 5-6 hours when you really need 7-8, you keep your body in a chronically sleep deprived state, impairing your body’s ability to regulate several key hormones such as ghrelin (triggers hunger) and leptin (satiety hormone).

In addition, by not getting enough sleep you’re hungrier and crave more sweets, you are tired so you move and exercise less.

Bottom-line: sleep deprived people tend to eat at least 300 more daily calories than people who get enough sleep.

Sleep is one of the most natural and nourishing things we can do for our body.

So here are my 5 tips to getting better sleep.

1. Release your worries. How often have we had trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep because our mind is racing, reviewing the days’ stories or worrying about future events in which we have no control. Instead, try doing a brain dump. Journal all of the day’s worries onto paper and give it over to your higher power.
2. Avoid caffeine approximately 8 hours before bedtime.
3. Try to go to bed and wake up approximately the same time every day, even on the weekends. This way you will avoid social jetlag which puts you out of sync with your circadian rhythm. Social jetlag affects a staggering number of people who go to bed at least two hours later on the weekend than in the week. It is also associated with having a higher BMI, and associated with a two-fold increased risk of metabolic syndrome, which includes diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
4. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol may help you get to sleep but will not help you stay asleep. It will also contribute to increased dehydration. We are already dehydrated upon waking this will only exacerbate dehydration.
5. Create a “pre-sleep” ritual to dial down at night and reduce levels of stimulation. It could include turning off all electronics 30 minutes before bedtime, listening to calming music or soundscapes, using aromatherapy such as lavender, gentle yoga, or breathing.

I hope you are able to take away at least one of these nuggets and apply it to your life. I would love to hear how it goes!