The last several months I changed up my workout time. I was lifting weights primarily in the late evening hours. At times, I arrived at the gym as late as 8:30 pm to begin my workout. For me, this was not an ideal time to workout after a long day at work and being mom, but it was when I could fit it in. I have always been an early morning workout person. It was a great start to my day. I felt refreshed, invigorated and didn't feel the stress of "when am I going to get my workout in" hanging over my head all day long.
I switched up my routine primarily because of my sleeping pattern. I had become an insomniac over the last few years. I struggled with falling asleep and staying asleep. I tried several home remedies, natural supplements and finally prescribed medication. They all worked for a short time period but then eventually stopped performing all together. Life sucks without sleep. Every aspect of my daily routine suffered. I was exhausted and crabby.
I finally went to a sleep specialist and learned to retrain my brain to sleep. I was skeptical at first but had no other option so I followed the program. It was excruciating at first. I had to force myself to stay awake until I was physically tired before I could go to bed. If I woke up and was awake for longer than 15 minutes, I had to get out of bed and leave my room. I had to rise each day at the same time regardless if it was the weekend or not. No naps. Needless to say, it was a horrendous three to four weeks. I was dog tired all the time. I was staying up to 11:00 pm or later and getting up at 5:00 am. Often, I was waking up several times throughout the night. I didn't think it was ever going to get better. But it did.
I followed the doctor's program. I listened to his expertise and his relied on his knowledge to help me sleep again. It wasn't easy and I hated every minute of it. However, it worked. I began to sleep again without the aid of sleeping medication. I still use some natural remedies as a 'back-up' when my brain goes into overdrive before bed. It is difficult to shut off my 'To Do' list that seems to begin developing as I lay down to sleep. So whether these natural remedies are helping or not, my emotional brain thinks they are doing exactly that.
Sleep is vital to your health. You know already know this but it affects much more than you may understand.
1. Sleep repairs your body. Your body produces extra protein molecules while you sleep which help your body repair itself at the cellular level.
2. Sleep keeps your heart healthy by reducing levels of stress and inflammation in your body.
3. Sleep reduces stress by lowering your blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones. It reduces the wear and tear on your body which propels the aging process.
4. Sleep improves your memory. Lack of sleep causes a groggy feeling and an inability to concentrate.
5. Sleep helps control your body weight. It regulates your hormones that affect and control your appetite.
An adult should ideally get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. We know this but often deprive ourselves of this luxury for a wide variety of reasons including work, kids, television, social engagements, etc. You should also have a consistent sleep schedule in order for your body to properly understand when it is time for sleep. Distractions such as televisions, computers, iPads, and 'screens' in general should be removed from your bedroom so the focus is sleep, not entertainment.
Give yourself the gift of sleep and see what aspects of your life improve with the proper rest. You may be surprised how one additional hour of sleep may improve your productivity, memory, eating habits, weight loss or training performance.
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