How To Sleep Better
What has sleeping got to do with diet and fitness? Quite a lot really.
I had a friend who, for years, felt that strength training was a waste of time. Then one day he began a regular program with a personal trainer. His comments after a few weeks of working out were very positive. He said he had never slept so well in many years.
In today's society most of our jobs are sedentary - requiring a lot of mental and emotional energy and not a lot of physical work. Add to this a lot of stimulation in the form energy or caffeine drinks, and all of our modern technology (computer screens and TVs). It's no surprise we don't sleep so well.
The BodyTweakers blog provides the scientific evidence backing up the benefits of exercise for sleep - and points out a few caveats.
I would also add that high intensity exercise right before bedtime will leave you feeling quite hungry!
- It’s not wise to exercise too close to bedtime, since an increased metabolic rate may cause restlessness. A high metabolism level fatigues your body, but your body does need a calm metabolism level to rest. So you have to exercise at least 1-2 hours ahead of bedtime.
- Outdoor exercise may be especially beneficial because of higher oxygen levels you receive. That’s also a reason why it’s recommended to take walks before sleep if you’ve got insomnia-related issues.
- Morning may be the ideal time to exercise because it influences circadian rhythms that may positively affect sleep quality.
Some other anecdotes for better sleep include - no caffeine after midday. Don't look at a computer or TV screen at least 30 minutes before you try to sleep. Then there is the old adage about drinking milk (or even other proteins) - this is apparently due to the presence of the amino acid tryptophan.
There has been a considerable amount of research into weight gain / loss and levels of sleep. Too little sleep has been linked to obesity. A recent study showed that when sleep was restricted, hormones controlling appetite went out of balance.
``If you're chronically fatigued, a lot of people sort of reach for calories to give them energy,'' she said. ``The something they have is not usually lettuce.''
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If you're a strength trainee, sleep may be amongst the key components that helps you to add the next 10 pounds to your bench, or 20 pounds to your squat. Incorporating healthy sleep into an overall fitness-oriented lifestyle...
ReplyAccording to William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D., and surprisingly, the answer is sleep. Dr. Dement, a Stanford University professor whose pioneering research into sleep began in 1952, shares an entire career's worth of scientific discoveries in his recent book The Promise Of Sleep (Delacorte Press, 1999).
He reviews not only the basic physiology of the sleep mechanism, but also discusses the numerous ways that sleep impacts our life-from the changing sleep requirements as we age, to the causes of insomnia, to mood and longevity. There are also some lessons here for the strength trainee, or more specifically, the strength trainee who is not looking for muscle and strength gains in a bottle of steroids.
Before my change of diet and weight training, I had a rough sleep schedule. It was inconsistent and every morning I woke up and felt unrested, tired and drowsy. About 2-3 weeks into a new diet and exercise routine, I noticed that I slept better and wasn't as tired in the morning. I have craved this type of sleep for some time now and I have finally gotten it by doing what I least expected... dieting and exercising!
ReplyI have a ton of things affecting my sleep, most notably, my 2yr old. But since I started exercising I'm able to fall asleep faster without a lot of tossing and turning.
What I'm finding more interesting is how my lack of sleep is affecting my diet. When I don't get enough sleep I feel depressed and it contributes to overeating and lack of motivation for exercising. Now that I'm living a healthier lifestyle there is more contrast in my moods between the days that I get a good night sleep and when I don't.
ReplyYou don't need the dairy products.
I'm sure humans can sleep without the aid of cows milk! LOL
ReplyToo little sleep affects secretion of cortisol , the hormone that regulates appetite. If you lose sleep, you're likely to feel hungrier even when you're well fed. Lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. People who average only 4 hours of sleep demostrate the same effects on glucose resistance as seen in aging. Trying to do too much each day and worrying through the night, can cause sleep deprivation. Eight hours is recommended per night but one-third of us get less than 7 hours of sleep a night.
ReplyEvev we exercise and eat healthy, we won't be able to sleep 8 hrs with the daily stressors surrouding us. I think only babies might sleep this much of time.
ReplyI do plenty of exercise and yet I find that I often have trouble sleeping. I experimented a bit this week and I found that reading before going to sleep was a good way to get my brain to switch off (not because the content was boring) but the repetitive action of the eyes seems to make the brain tired. Often I find that I wake up in the middle of the night because I'm anxious about what time I have to get up the next morning. Like I said the reading is helping but I think I need to find other ways of improving my sleep too! :)
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