As a busy mom of 3 and with a nursing 4 month old, sadly sleep doesn't come as easily as I would like it to. Often getting woken up in the middle of the night to feed sweet baby Elyse is so hard because my body WANTS to sleep and not only that, it NEEDS to sleep. Ever notice on the days that you exercise that you end up getting a really, really great night sleep. Well, during that night sleep that is when you are actually recovering and repairing your body from the workout. Making you feel better the next day (or sometimes more stiff, just need to do some squats or arm movements to help loosen up those sore legs and muscles!)
The amount of sleep you get does affect how much your body will burn fat while sleeping and help control your cravings the next day. And ultimately help you be able to say no to cravings because you won't be as tired and just give in. The average adult is only getting anywhere between 5-7 hours of sleep, but we really need to be getting 8-9 and if you are training being closer to the high side of that would be ideal. Plus, if you plan on going to the gym in the morning...and you don't get as much sleep as your body needs the night before you are more likely to skip your workout because you are too tired. (How many have hit the snooze button instead of working out?) ✋🏻
Check out these tips to help you get a better night sleep so that you can let your body heal and recover from training and to help you ultimately lose weight
1) Turn off your electronics a good 45 minutes before you sleep so your body produces enough melatonin while you sleep to get that good, deep restorative sleep.
2) Ambient sound. Anyone like falling asleep to the sound of waves when sitting on the beach? I do. I have an ambient sound playing at night right now to help me sleep and turn off my brain!
3) Go to bed and wake roughly the same time everyday to help regulate your internal clock.
4) For my New Moms: Try to snag a short nap earlier in the day so that you are getting a good amount of sleep overall since the nights can be so hard.
5) Go to sleep just 30 minutes earlier than you do right now. See if that helps you feel better in the morning. And try to aim to get 8-10 hours of sleep.
6) The harder you workout, the harder you sleep! Don't be afraid to push yourself a little in the workout. For me it means a better night sleep because my body just wants and needs that rest.
7) Make sure you have a
good firm mattress. The newer mattresses available now have done some major research and utilized sleep technology to enhance your sleep experience.
8) Also be sure that the room is slightly cooler. Personally I hate being hot when I sleep. Sleeping in the winter time is my favorite over summer because how much do you love the weight of your blankets while you sleep??? The best!
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