QUALITY SLEEP
HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP
Restful sleep helps you stick to your diet, decreases stress, keeps your hormones operating correctly, and keeps your hunger and blood sugar levels in check. Unfortunately, more than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep.[1]
When your hormones are disrupted from a lack of sleep, you may feel hungry even though your body doesn’t require calories. This is due to the interference in leptin signaling. Leptin tells your body when it feels full and also regulates energy expenditure. Obese people have less leptin variation and have trouble feeling satisfied with food. Research has shown that sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to make poor food choices and be obese.[2] Poor sleep leads to weight gain, which leads to poor sleep!
It's clear getting adequate sleep is crucial to your weight loss goals and lowers your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other disorders linked to oxidative stress. [3] It also boosts productivity and athletic performance.
FOOD AND LIGHT HAVE OUTSIZE EFFECTS ON THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM, CORTISOL, AND MELATONIN
Circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that regulates your alertness, patterns for eating and sleeping, cell repair, and many other biological processes that exist in every cell in the body. Your body is most efficient in processing food when it’s light outside. When your body expects you to rest at night, eating and drinking can disrupt your circadian rhythm and compromise metabolism.
Cortisol is highest in the morning, which sends signals to our biological processes that it’s time to start the day. Eating later, stress, and viewing electronic devices can raise cortisol and hamper melatonin production. Your body will begin to produce melatonin in the evening, signaling that it’s time to start winding down and getting ready for bed. Taking a melatonin supplement may help this process, but it might be overwhelmed if your cortisol levels are high from other non-optimal practices.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
A one-hour time change when we 'spring forward' shouldn’t be a big deal, but it has a significant impact on our health. Studies have found that the rate of strokes increase, heart attacks rise, and so do traffic accidents.[4] Depressive symptoms increase for people with mental health issues. Your brain is highly synchronized with light and darkness; even a one-hour shift in time stresses our system. It’s crucial to practice good sleep, nutrition, and lifestyle habits to keep our biological clock operating efficiently.
EVERYONE'S CIRCADIAN RHYTHM IS DIFFERENT, BUT WE CAN ALL OPTIMIZE OUR BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS BY FOLLOWING CERTAIN PRACTICES
In the evening
- Don’t eat a big meal or drink alcohol within 2-3 hours of your bedtime
- Make your bedroom as dark and quiet as possible
- Sleep at a cooler than normal temperature (66-68 degrees)
- Avoid electronics within 2 hours of bedtime. If you must check something, use blue blocker glasses (available on Amazon for $10-15).
- Get an air filter or fan for white noise
- Don’t watch TV, read, or scroll through your phone in bed
In the morning and during the day
- Spend some time outside, ideally shortly after you wake to signal to your body that it’s time to start the day.
- Any activity is beneficial but earlier in the day is better
- Don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages after 2 pm
- Stick to a schedule, keep it consistent on weekends
NATURAL SLEEP AIDS
- 200 milligrams of Magnesium an hour before bed
- Essential oils (lavender, chamomile, bergamot)
- Meditation or breathing exercises (I’m a big fan of Wim Hof)
Getting high-quality sleep helps you keep the weight off, heightens your ability to handle stress, increases longevity, and improves your mood.
Start practicing good sleep habits and reap the rewards.