‘Sleep’ your forgotten friend – Why improving your physical & mental health is as easy as closing your eyes.

There are only 2 things (apart from oxygen) that the body cannot go without for a week without dying, water & yes… sleep. Most of us these days are chronic ‘under sleepers’ & it’s causing a lot more problems than we think.

Why is sleep so important?

It is during sleep that we do our physical & mental recovery. It is crucial for adequate production of growth hormone & testosterone, both of which are needed to increase strength, vitality & muscle. Sleep also helps us stay lean by maintaining good insulin sensitivity. If you are looking for physical improvements from your hard work at the gym, these can be hampered by inadequate sleep. Sleep can also help us form long term memories & increases resilience to stress as well as resetting & balancing a number of mental functions. If feeling better is one of your key goals, then getting the appropriate amount of sleep should be a top priority. Interestingly the best time frame to sleep includes the hours between 10:30pm – 6:00am. Research also suggests that the 2 hours pre & post midnight are the most important. For those of us who have the occasional late night or reduced hours of sleep, the best compensation is an earlier bed time the next night rather than sleeping in to regain lost hours.

I’m so busy, what happens if I don’t get enough sleep?

Lots! Unfortunately, most of us don’t put enough importance on sleep & use the bandaid approach of more caffeine or other stimulants to get us through the day. Whilst this may keep you physically awake, it will hardly have you looking, feeling or performing at your best & definitely fails to provide the many benefits that a good, regular sleep pattern can. Below is a table of just a few of the possible mental & physical consequences of consistently failing to get enough sleep.

So how much sleep should I have?

Everybody is different. The average amount of sleep that an adult needs is between 6 – 8 hours, teenagers about 9 & babies need around 16 hours per day. Your individual requirement may vary as some people only need 5 hours, while others need 10. Sleep requirements are not fixed however & will depend on what you have done during the day. A day of hard physical activity will require more sleep than a sedentary day.

I know I don’t get enough sleep, but what can I do about it?

The best way to succeed at something is to make a plan. For too many of us, our sleep habits are random & incidental. Here are some ideas that can help you form a strategy to better sleep patterns:

• Keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks recording as much info as possible (including how you feel & energy levels) to identify patterns & individual needs.
• Engage in regular exercise.
• Eat a well balanced diet.
• Have 1 day a week that you don’t wake to an alarm clock.
• Make your room as dark & quiet as possible.
• No food or caffeine 4 hours before bed. If you have to eat, make it small.
• Read for 15 minutes before bed. To reduce brain chatter read something you normally wouldn’t. If you normally read fiction, try reading some history.
• Sleep on a good mattress.
• Listen to signals your body gives you.

What do we think at MHS?

Sleep is very important & is a key driver for our physical & mental ability to perform in day to day life. Ask any new parent! If you’ve got a screaming bub at home that won’t let you sleep, you probably feel (& look) like you’ve just gone ten rounds with King Kong. Sleep plays a very important role in overall health. In fact, regular lack of sleep is one of the most effective ways to destroy your health. Our lives are busy & only seem to be getting busier, but sleep can’t be put on the back burner & treated as a luxury. It is an absolute necessity. If you make & implement a plan to get more sleep, your physical & mental health will dramatically improve. Not to mention your results from the gym. Give it a go & you’ll feel like a brand new you!