The Importance of Sleep: Are you getting enough?
Many of us tend to overlook the importance of getting a full night worth of sleep. This is often due to scrolling on our phones, studying or doing homework, or trying to get the kids to bed! Did you know that lack of sleep can actually be the cause of many unpleasant symptoms and can negatively impact your mental and physical health?
Keep reading to find out the importance that sleep has on your mental health & physical performance!
Importance of sleep:
Did you know that the average American gets less than 7 hours of sleep each night? Even the people we see living a healthy lifestyle to a tee, may not be getting enough sleep for what their body needs. The brain is a very complex organ that needs rest just as our muscles do!
Based on recent studies, the average person can function properly at around 6-7 hours. Anything less than this can impact the bodies mental and physical performance. Sleep plays a major role in productivity, emotional balance, immunity, brain and heart health, and even weight changes!
When sleeping, we do not simply just shut down for 8 hours. The brain restores and prepares you for the next day ahead. Enough sleep allows us to problem-solve, work, learn, and communicate. Additionally, getting enough sleep is important for energy, mood-levels, and mental sharpness. It is quite clear that sleep is crucial to cognitive functions and mental abilities.
How much sleep do we need?
While the average adult sleep requirements sit at 7-9 hours, it is recommended that we aim closer to 8-9 hours each night.
Adolescents should be getting more sleep due to time used for brain and skill development.
Athletes are recommended 9+ hours of sleep each night for optimal rest and recovery
Signs you're not getting enough sleep:
Many people experiencing lack of sleep or sleep deprivation often experience unpleasant symptoms associated with mental and physical functions. If you're getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night, chances are you're experiencing some type of sleep deprivation symptom. The following are signs & symptoms that you may be cause of lack of sleep:
Feel sluggish
Inability to concentrate
Irritability/mood changes
Need to nap throughout the day
Sugar cravings
Memory problems
Daytime fatigue
Frequent yawning
These are just some of the symptoms that lack of sleep can cause; however, long-term sleep deprivation can have more serious effects!
Impact of sleep on athletic performance:
As athletes, weightlifters, or the average fitness guru, we want to perform at our best during our workouts! Getting enough sleep, having a healthy diet, and a structured workout program are all essential to performing our best. Many people often overlook the importance that sleep has to our physical health, as their 6-7 hours every night becomes "normal." Athletic performance can be enhanced with an adequate amount of sleep and recovery.
Allows heart & brain to rest.
Less fatigue = more intensity.
More sleep = more motivation.
Quality sleep is associated with improving overall mood.
Boosted energy levels to last the entire workout.
Recovery - Sleep is essential for building muscle mass. Our muscles use this time to build and recover! Not all muscle-building is done inside the gym.
Tips to improve sleep habits:
Create a restful environment. Having a clean room with reduced clutter will help ease up any underlying stress and will help you fall asleep much faster.
Stick to the same time/schedule. Going to bed at the same time every night will create a healthy circadian rhythm. This is your sleep-wake pattern throughout a 24 hour window. Once you get a consistent rhythm down, your body will recognize when it is time to go to bed and when to wake up.
Create a relaxing night routine. Creating a mindful night routine can improve sleep habits. You might want to try reading before bed, practice light stretching or yoga, or journal!
Reduce light and noise. Having a dark room with zero noise is ideal for falling asleep and staying asleep.
Reduce time on screens. Limiting screens at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed can have positive effects on your sleep and can help you fall asleep much faster.
Create healthy eating habits before bed. Caffeine, alcohol, and sugary foods can all disrupt your sleep
Manage stress & anxiety. Whether this is by journaling, meditation, or therapy, reducing your stress and anxiety will help limit overflowing thoughts when trying to sleep.
Summary
Do you feel like you are getting enough sleep each night? We may have adapted to 6-7 hours of sleep each night and our tiredness almost feels "normal." But, what if our body functioned optimally on 8-9 hours of sleep? Good news, it is not too late to adjust our sleep habits! Try following some of the tips provided above to see if you have improvement in your overall quality and quantity of sleep. It is quite stressed that if we want to continue our healthy lifestyle, making sleep a priority is essential!
RESOURCES
6 steps to better sleep. (2022, May 07). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379 Connolly, E. (2019, June 19). Importance Of Sleep In Fitness. Retrieved from https://www.trifectanutrition.com/blog/importance-sleep-fitness
How Much Sleep Do You Need? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/sleep-needs-get-the-sleep-you-need.htm
How Sleep Affects Athletic Performance. (2022, April 13). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/athletic-performance-and-sleep
SingleCare Team | Updated on Jan. 20, Team, S., & Team, S. (2022, January 20). How much sleep does the average American get? Retrieved from https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/sleep-statistics/
At AstroFlav, we want the best for our customers. It is our goal to help everyone achieve their fitness goals and steer them in the right direction with trust-worthy advice AND trust-worthy supplements!
MetaBurn PM
MetaBurn PM contains the most revolutionary and cutting-edge sleep-inducing ingredient, Zylaria™, the powerful metabolism-boosting ingredient MitoBurn® to supercharge fat-burning while you sleep, along with Sensoril® ashwagandha to improve and manage stress levels. ALL this while you sleep.
Reduce time to fall asleep.
Sleep More, Stress Less.
Increase Sleep Duration. Sleep Better and Longer.
Nighttime Metabolism Boost.
Feel Refreshed, Renewed and Re-Energized.
Wake Up Energized Without a Sleep “Hangover"
Unlock the deepest sleep from within while boosting your metabolism and burning fat.
Take 2 capsules 20-30 minutes before desired bet time.
Unlike those other companies that make it almost impossible to return anything, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all products for any reason! Even if you’ve opened it! If you don’t open it, you’ll never know how amazing it is, right?
MetaBurn PM
MetaBurn PM contains the most revolutionary and cutting-edge sleep-inducing ingredient, Zylaria™, the powerful metabolism-boosting ingredient MitoBurn® to supercharge fat-burning while you sleep, along with Sensoril® ashwagandha to improve and manage stress levels. ALL this while you sleep.
Reduce time to fall asleep.
Sleep More, Stress Less.
Increase Sleep Duration. Sleep Better and Longer.
Nighttime Metabolism Boost.
Feel Refreshed, Renewed and Re-Energized.
Wake Up Energized Without a Sleep “Hangover"
Unlock the deepest sleep from within while boosting your metabolism and burning fat.
Take 2 capsules 20-30 minutes before desired bet time.
Unlike those other companies that make it almost impossible to return anything, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all products for any reason! Even if you’ve opened it! If you don’t open it, you’ll never know how amazing it is, right?
