Self Care Tip: SLEEP

Sleep can make or break your health and well being.

Have you ever had a bad nights sleep and then crave carbs and sugar the whole next day to try to make yourself feel better??

Welp. It's not just you. It's scientifically proven.

Adequate sleep (eight hours of good sleep) leads to:

  • clear thoughts, brain clarity
  • mood boost
  • metabolism boost
  • muscle recovery
  • higher energy levels

Sleep deprivation leads to:

  • depression
  • brain fog
  • high blood pressure
  • weight gain
  • carb cravings
  • heart disease

So it's a BIG DEAL!

Sleep has everything to do with your health.

Many benefits of getting enough sleep—clearer thinking, more consistent metabolism—are well established and widely understood. But the effects of sleep deprivation are less understood and something to be considered. 

So let's dig into sleep deprivation. 

Research has shown that people who sleep for 5 hours or less experience a suppression of leptin and an increase in ghrelin, and as a result will consume between 200 – 300 extra calories a day.
Furthermore, they are more likely to crave foods high in heavy carbohydrates and simple sugars, as a means of a ​“quick fix” energy boost. 
Sleep helps to regulate two hormones, leptin (which triggers a feeling of fullness) and ghrelin (which triggers hunger).
Brain scans on sleep-deprived participants have shown a 60% increase in the activity of the amygdala, which is the area of the brain responsible for triggering negative emotions.
Over time this can increase the risk of anxiety disorders and depression, as well as social isolation.
And here’s another doozy: After just one week of sleeping five hours or less each night, a man’s testosterone levels drop as if he’s aged almost 11 years.
Yep, you heard me.
You’re likely aware that testosterone is critical to male sexual behavior and reproduction, but it also plays a critical role in recovery — think muscle mass and strength, bone density, and even decision-making abilities...
Additionally, 70% of the weight lost in people trying to diet while being sleep deprived will come from lean muscle mass as opposed to fat.
This is not the kind of weight you want to lose. This is because the body retains these fat cells as a vital energy source.

So hopefully at this point you're sold on the fact that you need 8 hours or more of sleep a night.

Here are a few more tips to help you get improve your sleep!

Sleep tips:

Regularity is key — experts suggest that you should try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day of the week and weekend. Set an alarm or a reminder.

Cut down on your screen time - If you have a hard time falling asleep, try reading 15 minutes before bed.

Finish coffee or caffeine before 2pm—but especially four hours before bedtime! I know I can't have caffeine after 2:00 pm or I'll have insomnia. 

Begin breathing exercises — Download an app that will guide you through simple breathing exercises designed to lower your heart rate, calm your mind, and prepare your body for rest.

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