When my clients are struggling in almost any area of their fitness there’s one question at the top of my list to help figure out what’s going on.
“How’s your sleep?”
Getting your sleep habits under control is a super important “basic” that will help skyrocket your results.
It impacts everything in your body, right down to the cellular level.
I’m talking about things like your: health, fitness, body composition, hormones, stress levels, appetite, mood, ability to concentrate, immune system, and even aging.
And … did you know that while you sleep, your brain actually “cleanses” itself?
Researchers discovered that while we sleep, cerebrospinal fluid washes in and out of our brain helping to get rid of metabolic “trash” that accumulates there during the day.
Over the long term, lack of sleep is correlated with dementia, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Plus, a large review of studies linked too little sleep to an increased risk of obesity by 89% in children and 55% in adults.
Pretty eye-opening, right?
That’s why it’s SO important to find what works for YOU, so you can get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
Here are 8 tips to improve your sleep (and your results) naturally:
- Get some sunlight every day, but avoid blue light (from TVs, computers, and devices) at night.
- Avoid caffeine after your morning cup of coffee. Caffeine can stay in your system for 6-8 hours.
- Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day/night, and avoid daytime naps longer than 15-30 minutes.
- Avoid alcohol because it can interfere with hormones related to sleep … plus it’s linked with sleep apnea.
- Optimize your bedroom for sleep: make sure it’s quiet, dark, comfy, and serene, and that it’s at the right temperature for you (not too hot or cold).
- Avoid eating for a few hours before bed because it can disrupt your hormones (this is a sneaky one that’s worth tracking).
- Get in a workout, but not too close to bedtime.
- Wind down before you go to bed: take a relaxing bath or shower, listen to quiet music, read a book, etc.
And if you try all of those tips and STILL can’t sleep, be sure to tell your healthcare provider the next time you have an appointment.
So, how did YOU sleep last night?
