Sleep - why you need more of it (and how to get it!)

Good morning and happy Tuesday! I hope you are well and are not at all annoyed at the close win by Australia yesterday. Sorry Scotland, for a second there you almost had us! With such a busy weekend and with lots on, I really suffered from having less sleep. It was a combination of late to bed, too much food late at night and caffeine (which I haven’t drunk for ages!). Unfortunately this meant that I just couldn’t switch my brain off. So this week I’m talking about sleep, why it’s important and how to get more of it.

Though diet and exercise are critical components of healthy lifestyles, it's also important to remember that sleep is inherently linked with how we eat (and how much), how we exercise (and whether or not we lose weight), and how we function on a daily basis. Getting the proper amount of sleep each night is essential so that you can face the world with your best (and freshest) foot forward.  Sleep will help you on the road to good fitness, good eating and good health.

Research shows that all mammals need sleep, and that sleep regulates mood and is related to learning and memory functions, along with hormone regulation, protein metabolism and repair of cells and tissues.

So what happens to your body when you don’t get enough sleep?

• Body Fat Gain

When you don’t get enough sleep your hormone levels change – most importantly in relation to weight loss are the hormones Ghrelin and Leptin which regulate appetite. Ghrelin is the hormone that stimulates and controls hunger. If you don’t get enough sleep this hormone increases which means you feel hungrier. Leptin is the hormone which suppresses appetite and we naturally produce the most of this hormone at night. So if you’re not sleeping you produce less.

On top of that you will be tired so you are likely to crave calorie dense foods that are high in sugar and fat to give you an energy boost. You have these, they lift you for a while, then you crash and need more – and you end up in a cycle of stuffing yourself with high sugar foods, and caffeine to keep going. In addition your bodies ability to deal with glucose declines with less sleep so you don’t metabolise it as efficiently which can also increase fat gain.

Also, lack of sleep creates a vicious cycle - the more tired you are, the more caffeine you'll consume to stay awake during the day; but the more caffeine you consume, the harder it'll be to fall asleep at night. Not only are foods and drinks high in caffeine likely to keep you up at night, but they're also usually contain lots of sugar or artificial sugar and not much else. 

• Muscle Loss

Another problem with lack of sleep is that with lack of sleep comes increased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). This isn’t a bad thing in itself but if cortisol levels are elevated over a long period of time it can be. This elevated cortisol can result in muscle loss as it prevents the release of IGF-1 and testosterone (growth hormones which are important for muscle growth and retention). This means that if you are trying to lose body fat or weight then whilst you may still lose weight if you are lacking sleep, you will tend to lose muscle mass first before you lose fat.

• Reduced Willpower

When you have less sleep you end up with less willpower. You’re more likely to give in to cravings or make poor decisions – like skipping the gym or eating a massive bar of chocolate. A study of over 2000 people over 6 years showed that those lacking sleep regularly over this period would tend to snack more, eat proper meals less regularly, add excessive seasoning and condiments to their food and consume significantly fewer vegetables.

• Lack of Focus and Productivity

With no sleep the brain struggles to focus on daily tasks. Studies have repeatedly shown that lack of sleep impacts on mood, cognitive performance and motor function. Also this effect can accumulate over time resulting in longer term impacts on brain function. No amount of coffee or sugar can combat this. If you’re working out this will affect your ability to work at the right level – you won’t be able to perform as many reps, or push your self as hard, and most importantly your technique may suffer which can lead to increased risk of injury.

So how can you improve your sleep and get more of it!?

• Avoid using things like computers/ipads etc in bed – the light they produce signals to the brain that it’s daytime and prevents production of melatonin. So they are best avoided late at night – and if you wake in the night, do not check them. Get yourself an alarm chlock that isn’t your phone so you don’t need to turn it on to check the time. Things like kindles are designed with backlights that don’t have the same effect so these are ok.

• Try supplementing with magnesium.This is an important mineral for the skeletal, nervous system and muscles. It plays an important role in hydration, muscle relaxation, energy production and deactivation of adrenaline – and that’s the critical one for sleep. Many people are deficient in magnesium (globally it ranks as the 2nd most deficient vitamin.mineral, after vitamin D). Insufficient magnesium will almost certainly impact on sleep so a great first step is to supplement. Magnesium also helps with muscle recovery it’s great for anyone working out regularly. I take magnesium every night and have really noticed a difference. In the few days post the all night race I upped my dose and I’m sure it’s helping. The recommended amount is 400 – 500 mg a day.
• Read before you go to sleep – use a book or a kindle, but not your ipad/iphone. This provides less stimulation than watching tv etc and will help to create a bedtime routine. Choose something completely unrelated to work – I go for rubbish fiction that’s engaging and easy to read.

• Cut the coffee!Cutting out caffeine at least 5 – 6 hours before you go to sleep will certainly help you to relax and rest. Also remember it’s not just coffee that contains caffeine – chocolate and tea do too. Other snacks such as sweets, high sugar desserts and crisps etc will all have a stimulant effect so try to avoid them in the evening. 
• Take some time out.Try spending 5 – 10 mins a day just sitting, focusing on nothing but your breathing. This will really help you to “chill out”.  By doing this you learn how to calm your mind when you want to – and means you can then use this technique to switch your brain off when you are struggling to sleep.

Everyone’s required amount of sleep will differ – for some it’s 7hrs, for some it’s 9hrs. There’s no magic number – you’ll have to find what works best for you – too little and you won’t be able to function, too much and you’ll wake up feeling like you’re jet-lagged! But try the tips I’ve suggested and see if you can improve your sleep this week. Let me know how it goes!

Exercise of the week

This week’s Exercise of the Week is a deep breathing exercise to help you get to sleep. This exercise helps to slow the heart rate, calm the mind and send you off to sleep within a few minutes. Let me know if it works for you!

Here is the link to the YouTube video of the breathing technique that can help you to drop off more easily at night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J-AH0GihS0

The principles are:

1. Lie flat in bed
2. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4
3. Hold your breath for a count of 7
4. Breathe out loudly through your mouth for 8
5. Continue for a few minutes or until you are asleep!

 Have a great week!

Angela Hartley

Cardiac Nurse Specialist & Exercise Coach

London, Surrey

07918 788347

www.clinicalexercise.co.uk

@CELMgroup