The Power Of Sleep How Rest Impacts Your Health

If you live in Alexandria, VA, you understand how much there is to do. It’s the same for people throughout the country. It feels like there’s no time to rest, whether trying to balance parenthood and a career while still making time for yourself or just attempting to fit other demands into your day. You need adequate sleep to maintain your health. It’s vital for maintaining mental and physical health. Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep, but a small minority may need far less or require ten or more hours.

Those extra pounds may be from lack of sleep.

When you get adequate sleep, everything tends to run better–your hormone levels balance. You have the energy to complete your daily tasks. The opposite occurs if you lack sleep. It affects hormone levels. Your body produces more hunger hormones and limits the satiety hormones. You’ll feel hungry all the time. Because your body needs extra energy, hunger is often for sugary treats. You move slower and burn fewer calories, adding to the potential for weight gain.

Lack of sleep may diminish your workout results.

If you’re trying to build muscles or tone, lack of sleep can limit your efforts. Besides being tired, which diminished your energy, it affected your recovery. Your body recovers and rebuilds during sleep. Intense exercise causes microscopic tears in the muscles. When you sleep, scar tissue forms that strengthens and builds muscles. Sleep increases HGH—human growth hormone. HGH increases the body’s ability to build muscles. It boosts bone density and aids in maintaining muscle mass. Sleep increases testosterone levels. Testosterone improves muscle formation.

Protect your heart with adequate sleep.

Your entire body rests when you sleep. That includes your heart. The sleep stages control your heart rate throughout the night. It improves cardiovascular health while you rest. Sleep also affects your immune system by creating cytokines. Cytokines are proteins secreted by cells that help regulate the body’s response to inflammation, immunity, and other functions. There’s a link between lack of sleep and RA—rheumatoid arthritis—pain.

• The quality of sleep you get is as important as the quantity. Your body needs to go through four to six sleep cycles. Each cycle has four stages: three NREM—non-rapid eye movement stages and one REM–rapid eye movement stage.
• The body heals during the deep sleep—NREM stage. Your breathing slows, your blood pressure drops. The body sends blood to the muscles. It’s when the muscles repair and grow. The body produces HGH.
• During the REM phase, you dream. A high amount of brain activity occurs. It’s when your brain reorganizes. The REM stage is when dreaming takes place and your memory improves.
• You can improve the quality of your sleep by creating a sleep schedule, keeping the room cooler, and shutting off all electronic devices. The room should be dark and quiet for the soundest sleep.

For more information, contact us today at Team Worx Fitness