Do you feel irritable and find yourself snapping at others? Are you finding it difficult to satisfy your bottomless pit hunger? Are you experiencing forgetfulness? Is it becoming impossible to lose those last 5 lbs even though you are eating healthy and working out? Are you feeling down and blue more than usual?
Your sleep regimen or lack of may be the culprit! Insufficient sleep has become a Public Health Epidemic. What is more concerning is the effects it has on your mind body and spirit. Lack of sleep affects you emotionally, hormonally, physically, spiritually and mentally.
"Your body goes through a series of 9 phases which can only be completed through 6-8 hours of uninterrupted rest. During these 9 phases the body accomplishes: muscle restoration and repair, hormone growth and release, brain cell regeneration and memory consolidation. Because the number of people experiencing lack of sleep is steadily increasing so are the rates of obesity, hypertension, memory loss, depression, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes".
If that's not bad enough, when you experience an inconsistent and interrupted sleep regimen your body begins to replicate the same side effects of aging. For example, memory consolidation and brain regeneration don't complete processing therefore we experience memory loss, forgetfulness, a lag in response and logic time, irritability and wrinkles. Welp!
If you aren't getting the recommend and uninterrupted 6-8 hours of rest the hormones Ghrelin and Leptin can not be regulated at normal levels. These hormones regulate your hunger. Balancing the regulation of these hormones keeps you feeling satisfied at mealtimes. This may be the reason some of you feel like it's impossible to satisfy your hunger. This is then linked to obesity which in turn is linked to increased health risks and depression.
Establishing a better sleeping routine is key. No matter how fit you are, how healthy your diet is, how well you manage your stress, if you are not engaging in a steady sleep regimen the effects are very detrimental to your health. Sleep is the key to how we function in our day to day. With consistent rest we wake up more resourceful. We are better able to deal with stressors. We feel energized, experience better moods, are better able to concentrate, make decisions and engage fully in our daily lives.
Stay Well,
Coach Nadia K