What Happens With Rest
We see it everywhere, the latest diet trend, the latest exercise craze, new research, new technologies, and new breakthroughs for getting in shape and living healthier. Perhaps you’ve taken some of that information and now have the perfect diet and training program along with all the tools you need to be fit.
That’s all there is to it right? What else could there be? Well if you read the title of this article you already know I’m talking about sleep. If you didn’t catch that it’s probably because you are lacking sleep and very well may have already fallen asleep while reading this.
Sleep impacts everything. Poor sleep equals poor performance in the gym and throughout your day. You’re simply not your best mentally or physically when you lack a good night’s rest. If you aren’t already, you’ll want to make it a priority to get a good night’s rest because the long-term benefits and effects go far beyond just sleeping to not be tired.
First, let’s establish what I mean by a good night’s rest. According to science, good sleep means 7-9 hours of sleep each night, consistently. I’m going to be bold enough to say this is non-negotiable. Now that we’ve agreed on that, here’s the highlights of why you should be sleeping 7-9 hours a night:
Benefits of Good Sleep
- Muscle repair happens during rest, better sleep means better muscle growth
- Better mood, focus, and memory
- Your body burns fat better with sleep (people who sleep less than 6 hours gain twice as much weight over 6 year period)
- More energy for workouts
- Better food choices
- Regular exercise can reduce a woman’s risk of cancer, but these benefits are negated if sleep is neglected.
- Central Nervous System restores itself
Effects of Poor Sleep
In short, the opposite of the above, but I’d still like to spell out the associated risks that research shows is likely associated with lack of sleep.
- Weight Gain
- Hungrier when Tired
- Higher Blood Pressure
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Risk of Stroke and Hearth Attack
- Lower GH (Growth Hormone) Secretion - Basically, workout performance will suffer, even though it may feel like you’re working hard and your ability to build muscle suffers.
- Lower Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) (a hormone that stimulates metabolism)
- Increased Cortisol (the stress hormone, also breaks down protein, which we don’t want)
- Insulin Resistance/Slow Insulin Response (this is an article in itself)
- Glucose Intolerance (too much in the blood is not good)
- Elevated Sympathetic Nerve Activity (Fight or Flight response)
- Reduced Melatonin
- Fun Study: 24 hours without sleep is similar to performing with a blood alcohol level of 0.10%.
Let this information serve as a nice gentle reminder as to how important your rest is.
However effective your exercise and nutrition may be, sleep is an essential component to your health that should be given just as much attention.
In summary, good sleep makes your brain and body function better, leading to a happier, healthier, and fitter version of yourself. A few bad nights won’t ruin you, but the effects long-term likely will. There’s no good reason you need to take that chance.
Coach Dustin Hassard
