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The Importance of Sleep

    So we live in a society of "Go, Go, Go", but what about the slow down, rest and recover? There is only so much we can do in one day. I know I can stand by that statement because I try and cram everything in one day. I would teach spin in Livingston, have clients in Westfield, then drive into Hoboken to train more clients. Oh, not to mention the fact I also do Bikram Yoga right in the middle of all that. I would get home around 9:30/10pm, just to pretty much do the same thing over the next day. Your body will only let you do this for so long. I started to burn out. I always denied the fact that I would never, but you start to actually feel it coming on. I thought 5/6 hours a night of sleep was ideal, but the amount of stress I put on my body, being up at early hours (5am), then training, workouts, etc takes a toll on you. I needed to slow down and recover. I changed my schedule around so it was more convenient and less of a run around, I get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and now I am able to appreciate my time to myself when I workout. Making time for myself allowed me to enjoy cooking again, watch a documentary, read a book, write, etc.

    There are so many benefits to getting enough sleep that are overlooked. But what if I told you about all the health benefits that come along with getting quality amounts of sleep? It's all about the R&R!
     So some of us may know that strokes and heart attacks are more likely to happen in the early morning hours of the day, and not getting enough sleep negatively affects your blood pressure and cholesterol which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Your heart will be healthier and stronger getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
     Sleep helps to keep our hormones under control! This means less cravings, stress, depression,  keeps your metabolism up, keeps you young & our stabilizes our mood! Lack of sleep causes changes in our glucose tolerance and endocrine function. I know how frustrating it can be to try and figure your body out. I used to ask myself, "What the hell is missing from my program or my diet to get the last bit of results I am looking for?" The answer was SLEEP! My body was able to recover so I saw results faster, and I had way more energy. Sleep may help you lose weight because of the balance of hormones which affect your appetite. Memory is also affected by lack of sleep. Get that extra couple of hours, and you will feel and be more alert.
    If these aren't good enough reasons to get more R&R, then not sure what is. This could be that missing piece of the puzzle to get the results you are seeking. Now as for me, IT'S NAP TIME! (Not really cause it's 10:20am and I have a client in 10 minutes.) Make this a new goal.

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