Eat better and exercise more, it’s what we hear everyday. There are always new diets, new fads, new exercises to try. You’ve made some new lifestyles changes but are still feeling burnt out, not seeing the extra pounds drop off, and have run out of energy to start each day with enthusiasm. What is missing? It may be sleep!
Diet and exercise are necessary to maintain a healthy way of life but sleep is just as important. Adequate sleep is essential for healthy functioning. Research shows that all mammals need sleep. It regulates our mood and is related to learning and memory functions. Sleep will not only help you ace that test or complete a deadline on time, but it may be contributed toward a critical factor in your health, weight and energy level.
Exercise and Sleep
Exercise is definitely good for one’s body and health. Exercise can relieve stress, improve your mood, manage weight, fight chronic diseases, boost energy levels, etc.; however, properly timing exercise is important to achieve your highest beneficial effects. Exercise promotes better sleep, but exercising right before bedtime is the worst time for the body because it can lead to a poor night’s sleep. Exercising at least three hours before bedtime is sufficient, and the best time is usually late afternoon. Exercising at this time can be very beneficial because body temperature is related to sleep. It can take up to six hours for a person’s body temperature to begin to drop and since cooler body temperatures are associated with sleep onset, it is important to allow the body time to cool.
Diet and Sleep
Food is related to sleep by appetite and metabolism. Studies have shown that people that do not get enough sleep at night are more likely to have larger appetites. The reasoning behind this is because leptin levels, which is an appetite regulating hormone, fail, promoting appetite increase. This leads to the fact that lack of sleep and obesity are often linked. To make things worse, the psychological manifestation of fatigue, sleep and hunger are similar. This means that when you are feeling sleepy you might have the urge to head for the refrigerator instead of bed.
Are you someone that needs that cup of joe right out of bed, or are you finding yourself constantly making a run to the vending machine mid-afternoon for a can of pop? Caffeine through food and drink also affect sleep. When a person experiences lack of sleep, it becomes a vicious cycle. The more tired you are, the more caffeine you are likely to consume to stay awake, the harder it is going to be to fall asleep at night. Food and drinks high in caffeine are likely to keep you up at night and are usually loaded with unwanted calories and artificial sweeteners.
How much sleep do we really need?
There is no magic number for how much sleep we need. A person’s sleep needs depend on different age groups and it also depends on an individuals needs. Like the different characteristics each person is born with, the amount of sleep each person needs to function at their best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender.
Sleep needs vary across ages and vary especially due to lifestyle and health. It is important to realize where you fall on the “sleep needs spectrum”, but it is also important to realize what lifestyle factors may be affecting your quality and quantity of sleep.
source: www.sleepfoundation.org
