6 Ways to Get Quality Sleep Tonight!

Sufficient sleep is crucial for health, yet many underestimate its importance.  Modern lifestyles often lead to sleep deprivation, and growing research increasingly links this to various health issues.

According to John Hopkins University, people who sleep less than six hours of sleep a night are at higher risk for certain cancers and heart disease, have a weaker immune system and are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes!!

The amount of sleep the average adult should be aiming for in a given night is between 7–8 hours. When we sleep for 7–8 hours a night, we allow our bodies to tap into the appropriate amount of REM cycles (rapid eye movement).

REM cycles during sleep are essential in allowing our bodies to run at their most optimal levels on a day to day basis. Certain parts of our brain such as motor, memory and vision all increase when we tap into our REM cycles of sleep.

If we happen to skip out on sleep, not only do we feel lethargic and slow, but we also aren’t able to mentally perform our best. If you’re someone getting six hours or less of sleep a night, your levels of exhaustion will have a lower threshold.

Also, men who consistently sleep 5–6 hours a night will have a level of testosterone which is that similar to a man ten years his senior. So, hypothetically speaking, lack of sleep has the potential to age you by a decade (The Joe Rogan Podcast).

When we consistently don’t get enough sleep our bodies are negatively affected. If you are someone looking to build muscle or lose weight, you won’t be doing yourself any favors by skipping out on your z’s.

Other side effects that can occur in the body from a lack of sleep include:

• Higher risk for injuries

• Lack of balance and coordination

• A decrease in leptin (full hormone) and an increase in ghrelin AKA the hunger hormone

• A decrease in overall peak performance in the gym

So it’s pretty obvious that without enough sleep, the effects on our health, especially on our bodies, can be costly. The challenge then becomes changing your habits and implementing things in your everyday routine to help you sleep better at night.

Here are six tips you can implement ASAP to help you sleep better tonight:

1. Cut screen time at least 60 minutes before bed

2. Cut caffeine by 2PM

3. Skip the alcoholic drinks

4. Try to wake up and go to sleep at a consistent time each day and night

5. Get regular exercise

6. Turn the bedroom temperature down to at least 70 degrees or lower

Sleep is one of the few important components I stress with all my one on one clients. Interested to learn more about my coaching programs? Connect with me!