In order to get adequate rest, most people need 7 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, 33% of people get under 6.5 hours. It is no wonder why we are all so tired and spend the early part of our mornings looking like we belong on The Walking Dead. Why does this all matter? A 2006 study was used to study the effects sleep has body composition. There were three groups studied: those who slept under six hours, those who slept 7-8 hours, and those who slept 9 or more hours each night. The group that slept under 6 hours per night gained always twice as much weight as those who slept 7-8 hours. Over an extended period of time, getting less than 7 hours of sleep increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death. Those who slept more than 9 hours per night had similar body composition outcomes as those who sleep less than 6 hours. With that being said, do not assume that because a little bit of something is good, that more of it is better. Aim for 7-8 hours and your body will thank you!
What is the cause of our lack of sleep? Like previously discussed (Why is Everyone so Tired?), our work schedule may be at fault. Or we can be at fault. Most people lose sleep due to voluntary bedtime delay. We spend time watching television, texting our friends, messing around on our laptops or doing anything else that modern society has introduced to. Finding a suitable sleeping strategy needs to be a part of your healthy living and good nutrition. Below are some factors that should be taken into account for improving your sleep:
- Consistency. Having a constant sleep routine (even on the weekends) could allow for a deep, regular sleep.
- Lighting. Dim the lights, cover your windows, put your iPhone or other electronics in another room, and cover or dim anything that lights up in the room (ie alarm clock).
- Noise. Keep your room extremely quiet or use white noise, a fan or air filter work well.
- Relaxation and routine. Create a nighttime routine that tells your body that you are ready to shut it down. De-stress with some gentle movements, reading, relaxation techniques, or do a 'Brain Dump'. Whatever is on your brain, get it out of there and put it down on paper.
- Temperature. Most people sleep better when it is cool. Keep your room somewhere between 66-72 degrees.
- Nutrition. Keep caffeine (stimulant) and alcohol (depressant) to a minimum. Alcohol may make you sleepy but too much of it negatively effects your quality of sleep. So you may sleep 9 hours after a night of drinking but the quality of that sleep will be low. You should also eat a regular sized meal a few hours before bed. Your body needs time to digest that food. Eating a big meal before sleep may lead to restless sleep because your body will be working to digest on that food in your belly.
- Exercise. Exercise regularly but intense exercise before bed might "rev you up" so try to avoid that. A poor night of sleep will negatively effect your next days workout.
So now that we have taken care, it is time to talk about developing a strategy. This is a 24-hour process. A quick explanation of sleep cycles is that a full cycle occurs every 90 minutes. Stage I and II are light sleep stages. Waking up during one of these stages and we feel reasonably good and alert. Stages III and IV are deep sleep stages. The final stage, stage V, is when REM sleep occurs. If we wake up during one of the final three stages, we will feel groggy, sleepy or disoriented. One way to get a better understanding of which stage you wake is by using a Sleep Diary. Take the time to fill one out and it may provide you with the answers to all your sleep problems!
Sleep debt is cumulative. The more nights with inadequate sleep, the greater the likelihood of negative effects. Hours missed need to be repaid if your goal is to optimize your health, performance and body composition. When creating your next meal and fitness plan, take the time to get yourself into a good sleep routine and reap the rewards!
Hope you enjoyed,
Chris Fluck
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