Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

What is Sleep?

It’s difficult to talk about recovery without talking about sleep. When we sleep, our bodies drift into a state of repair - strengthening our organs, cells, muscles and immune system.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) states that over 30% of adults in the US reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day - that means they aren’t getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night. It’s also estimated that 50-70 million Americans have chronic, or ongoing, sleep disorders.

The Hormonal Impact

Sleep is instrumental in your daily recovery. As you sleep, your body produces a hormone called cytokines which helps you fight off infections. Our cells and tissues repair, our hearts rest, and our breathing slows. Our brains work to maintain cognitive function and form memories. Without adequate sleep, we may experience many negative impacts. 

Lack of sleep causes an increase in the hormone ghrelin which is also known as the hunger hormone - letting us know when we’re hungry. Disturbances in sleep cause a rise in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin levels (a protein hormone that helps regulate long-term energy balance) which promotes an increase in appetite and insulin resistance - meaning higher blood glucose levels. 

Your testosterone levels peak in the midst of your sleep cycle, so if you’re getting too little sleep or wake up frequently, you may experience low testosterone. Your GH (growth hormone) levels rise during nighttime sleep and are critical to muscle growth. When you’re sleep deprived, these GH levels fail to rise. If we’re not getting enough sleep, we can also experience an unwelcome rise in cortisol levels (the stress hormone).

Sleep Deprivation & Your Brain

When we sleep, our brain generates new pathways and forms new memories. If we aren’t getting enough quality shut-eye, we aren’t facilitating this process. 

Lack of sleep impairs our ability to make good decisions, promotes risky behavior, and can have a negative impact on our mental health and mood (depression, irritability, stress). It’s tough to stay focused when we’re exhausted. Sleep deprivation increases our risk of injury and likelihood that we’ll experience chronic, nagging pain. 

“A Stanford study of men’s basketball players who extended their sleep to 10 hours a night found several positive outcomes. The players ran faster in both half-court and full-court sprints. Their shooting improved by at least 9% for both free throws and three-point shots. The athletes also reported improved physical and mental well-being.”

Tips to Improve Your Sleep Quality & Quantity

Create a bedtime routine. Enjoy a warm bath (or cold plunge, if that’s your thing), practice your skincare routine, read a lowkey book (I wouldn’t suggest anything from the suspense or thriller genre), meditate, pray, do mobility or restorative yoga, or maybe journal about your day or jot down your to-do list for tomorrow.

Set the stage for sleep. Make your bedroom a place that’s conducive to restful sleep. It should be dark, quiet and cool - and ideally blue light-free. Your melatonin production increases when it gets dark. 

Kill the electronics. On that blue light note, limit your usage of electronics before bed - TV, computer, cell phones, iPads, etc. Blue light can negatively impact your Circadian rhythm. Decide on a time to drift into “do not disturb” mode and plug your electronics in - maybe even in another room. If you use your phone as an alarm, consider plugging it in on the opposite side of the room, so you have to get up to turn it off (decreasing your odds of excessive snoozing). 

Skip the booze and caffeine. Consuming caffeine too late in the day can prevent you from falling asleep and cause sleep disturbances. While alcohol may “help” you fall asleep, it can cause frequent wake-ups and negatively impact Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep - your deepest sleep. On a side note, try to consume most of your daily water intake throughout the day and not right before bed to prevent waking up several times per night to use the restroom.

Get natural sunlight during the day. Sunshine discontinues our production of melatonin - which is great during the day to help boost melatonin production at night - when it’s dark. Again, this helps us find better quality sleep. 

Exercise regularly. Elevating your heart rate, reducing your stress, and simply sweating and increasing blood flow has a positive impact on your sleep. Try not to exercise too close to bedtime as it releases endorphins and elevates your body temperature which can make it difficult to fall asleep. If exercising before bedtime is your only option, set up a solid bedtime routine to help wind down your nervous system for sleep. 

Get to bed a little sooner. If you’ve been going to bed late for years and years, this might seem like a tough one - so start small. Maybe this week try to hit the hay 5-10 minutes earlier. If you were successful, try 15-20 minutes earlier next week and continue until you’re getting to bed and regularly getting 7+ hours of sleep per night. Don’t give up on it! 

Get some rest, y'all!

Coach Abrie

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