If you are serious about changing your body composition for the better, ie reducing unwanted body fat and increasing muscle mass, the the importance of quality sleep can not be over emphasised. It is as critical to the end goal as how much you eat and how hard you train.
We all need different amounts of sleep for optimal health and one bench mark to tell if your getting enough, is to monitor how you wake each morning. Do you feel rested fully ready to seize the day, or in a blind panic when the alarm goes off, rushing around because your running late. What ever the sweet spot for you is its important to understand its place in optimal health, hormones, and physical potential.
Not getting enough will impact testosterone production, which can limit muscle building potential, insulin and cortisol sensitivity which can wreck havoc on fat storage and mobilisation for fuel, as well as growth hormone (HGH) which is released at certain cycles in the sleep process. Miss these cycles and you'll never catch them up.
Sleep is much more complicated than it might seem. Its not just close your eyes and voila! There are 4 distinct stages; three non-rapid eye movement states and the rapid eye movement (REM) state where we dream. In each of these different stages, biochemistry in the body is altered, promoting memory retention and hormonal production.
The first two stages are transition periods from being wide awake to that of reduced body temperature and slower brain waves. It's in the next phase, the third stage known as slow-wave sleep, that hormonal production and receptor sensitivity regulators are reset for insulin, as well as promoting growth hormone production. If you find yourself waking up 3-5 hours after drifting off, chances are you're disturbing these crucial phases. Its your liver that is responsible for much of the hormonal balance, so if its unable to fully process toxins, the balance is disturbed and the result is needing the bathroom in the night.
The final phase of REM sleep is where not only do we dream but its also responsible for establishing motor unit function and memory retention....at least I think it is, I can't remember.
There are however many things we can do to help improve our sleep quality.
Firstly set yourself a good routine by going to bed at the same time each night, and try to keep the hours regular. Forget the idea that you'll catch up over the weekend because it just won't happen.
Secondly, open a window or sleep in a cool room. By decreasing your body temperature and regulating the room temperature your much more likely to a sleeping environment that sustains REM.
Next turn your room into a dark cave! REM sleep is easily disturbed by noise and light. Make your sleeping environment as dark and quiet as possible. Using black out curtains or blinds are really good for this. Light interference on the skin can create a sensory marker in the brain disturbs REM.
If you struggle with good quality sleep, a magnesium supplement may help as this mineral is vital in aiding cortisol management and therefore in that slow-wave sleep phase assists ion insulin sensitivity reset. Magnesium is also a catalyst in re-establishing good adrenal health through he cortisol/insulin connection.
Californian Poppy Extract is another option and this natural adaptogenic herb helps relax brain waves in the slow-wave sleep phase. It's also a liver detoxifier that slowly aids the livers removal of toxins that affect sleep.
Watching eating habits of an evening has an impact too. Foods high in carbs may increase levels of serotonin which is the neurotransmitter responsible for calm, happy and relaxed states or mind....great! However, the downside is that when the blood sugar levels drop off, you can go into a hunger mode, and low blood sugar levels which cam disturb you in the night. Foods high in essential fats can aid in establishing a more constant blood glucose level which can help the body go into a fasting state whilst slow release energy is being made available for metabolic function. You will need to experiment which method works for you, because if you are already on a low carb diet plan, carbs prior to bedtime can improve sleep quality, whereas in others reducing carb intake at least 2hrs prior to sleep and a meal rich in essential fatty acids would work better.
Lastly, identify why you wake in the night. If you find yourself walking up 2-4hrs after falling asleep, you may benefit from an increase in fibre intake. This will assist your livers natural ability to detoxify the body. (No not detox diets, its the liver and kidneys natural detox I'm on about).
So as it turns out a good nights sleep can be a game changer to unlock weight loss, fitness and health potential. Are you getting enough??