Why sleep is so important for our wellbeing.
Along with nutrition and exercise, good sleep is one of the pillars of good health.
For years I was proud to tell people that I didn’t need much sleep, I used to say: “I don’t sleep much but I sleep fast.”
When I finally started taking my sleep habits more serious I realised that I was actually lacking sleep to feel my best physically and mentally. I was functioning but not living my best.
Lack of sleep is also one of the most common complains I hear from my clients.
We live overstimulated fast lifes where sleep often comes last on the to do list.
But without enough sleep, our brain and body systems don’t function normally. This does not only lower our quality of life (lack of motivation, concentration, mood issues,…) but also create long term inflammation in our body which can lead to more serious health concerns.
Sleeping well does help to maintain all vital functions of your body and helps your cells and tissues to recover from the wear and tear of daily life.
Major restorative functions in the body such as tissue repair, muscle growth, and protein synthesis occur almost exclusively during sleep.
More reasons to make sleep a priority:
1. Poor sleep can lead to weight gain
Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity.
Poor sleep can increase your appetite and cravings for unhealthy food. As you are tired your body is looking for extra energy.
Poor sleep can cause cells to become insulin resistant. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar from the bloodstream into your body’s cells to be used as energy.
When cells become insulin resistant, more sugar remains in the bloodstream and the body produces more insulin to compensate. This excess insulin makes you hungrier and tells the body to store more calories as fat…
2. Lack of sleep decreases your concentration and productivity
Good sleep can maximise problem-solving skills and enhance memory. Poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function and definitely creates brain fog: You know these days when you just cannot concentrate and you don’t get anything done? yes that can be lack of sleep and maybe a sieste is just exactly what you need to make you more productive
3. Poor sleep affects your mood
Lack of sleep can lead to depression. Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders
But even without falling into depression, lack of sleep makes you moody and just does not make you feel fully vibrantly alive and happy. When I am tired I get cranky, I lack motivation and everything just seems more difficult…
4. Sleep affects your physical performance
Longer sleep has been shown to improve many aspects of athletic and physical performance. Even if you are no professional athlete, lack of sleep might be the reason why you don’t go to the gym or for a run…
5. Sleep improves your immune function
Sleep helps our cells to repair und function properly. If you lack sleep your body does not have enough strength to fight any viruses, including Covid19… So let’s all sleep more
6. Lack of Sleep creates inflammation
Sleep loss is known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage. Inflammation is your body fighting and ongoing inflammation can lead to many serious illnesses.
The best way to prevent sleep deprivation is to make sure you get adequate sleep. You should aim for at least 7h of sleep every night. It is commonly recommended to sleep 7-9h.
Some advice on how to find a healthy sleep routing:
Don’t drink caffeine past noon
Exercise regularly, but not in the evening hours close to bedtime
Go to bed at the same time each night
wake up at the same time every morning
stick to your bedtime schedule during weekends and holidays
spend an hour before bed doing relaxing activities, such as reading, meditating, or taking a bath
avoid heavy meals two hours before bedtime
avoid drinking alcohol before bed ( best is none but if you drink give your body at least 3h to digest)
avoid chocolate at night
refrain from using electronic devices right before bed and don’t watch TV
Wishing you all a good night sleep