Lose those festive kilos by sleeping more…

• Posted onjofrancis
• in Masters Article Library, Mixed Bag, Website Articles
• onJanuary 30, 2014
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By Mike Redshaw

Intro:

So it is a month into the New Year and you might still be conscious of an extra kilo or two from the festive binge. If like me this includes you then read on. I have been doing some reading on sleep and the effects on weight loss of “late” and a few of my findings made real sense. So to start let me ask you this, I know it might sound like an obvious question but do you actually know why sleep is important? What happens when we sleep?

Why is sleep important?

Sleep repairs our bodies so you can keep coping with what you throw at it. So if you are not getting enough it will impair your ability to store energy in your muscles, which you need to train properly. It effects your decision making…you know the days when you wish you had just stayed in bed when everything just seems to go wrong, maybe this is the reason! Insufficient sleep increases stress hormones, namely cortisol which will delay tissue healing from training and thus increases your injury risk.

Implications for weight loss…

Lack of sleep actually increases cravings for junk and energy rich foods. This is because lack of sleep has been shown to alter the hormones that control hunger. What I call the “Night Gremlin” hormone ghrelin specifically. Higher levels of the Night Gremlin are present if you are sleep deprived which makes you want to eat but only because you are tired not because you actually need more calories!

Tips and Actions…

1) Banish the Night Gremlin and make sure you skip that last minute pre-bed time snack, refuel by going to bed instead. You are only feeling hungry because you are in most cases simply tired and the body is looking for energy by eating when sleeping will give the body what it needs by recharging instead.

2) Find a sleeping routine that works for you and stick to it! This will help you stick to your exercise regime. So this means going to bed at the same time, getting up at the same time, perhaps some relaxation techniques to help you unwind and managing the levels of alcohol and caffeine you are putting in appropriately.

3) Quality is what matters not quantity, and the above action will help you with the quality of your sleep. That said as a rule for most people it is has been shown that 7- 8 hours per night for most has significant health benefits. For athletes training consistently it has shown that an extra hour per night above your average significantly helps your recovery.

It is free, actually works and will make you perform better in training and racing and is the best way to prepare your body for the next session along with quality nutrition. How will you know if it is enough? If you don’t feel refreshed and alert to tackle the day then you probably need more.

Forget the latest gadgets, sleep, train and eat…Simple!