Clients often ask us to summarize or give them the bottom line for best health. “What is the most important supplement you can take?”
“What is the number one factor for longevity?”
“If I had to focus on improving one thing, what should it be?”
The answer is always— SLEEP!
Sleep is the most important thing a person can add to their life to achieve a better state of health. The best part is that it is free. Sleep lowers your stress hormones, allows your body to convert the learned events of the day into long term memory, lowers inflammation, and allows the body to heal and repair tissues. The list of positive benefits from sleep is endless, and you could fill a library full of books and studies written about it.
Sadly, sleep is often one of the first things to go when we feel pressed for time. People often view sleep as a luxury versus a requirement. They often weigh the immediate benefits of gaining productivity, over the longterm costs of limiting sleep. Research has been very definitive in the past few decades about sleep and its cost/benefit ratio. Sleeping less than seven hours per night is associated with a host of chronic illnesses.
The illnesses most commonly associated with lack of quality sleep are obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
Sleep has been shown to improve concentration and productivity. A good night’s sleep can maximize problem-solving skills and enhance memory. In contrast, poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function and limit decision making skills.
Sleep even affects your body weight. Getting at least seven hours per night may help you maintain or lose weight. Whereas, shortened sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of developing obesity and weight gain. This is because sleep deprivation will increase your appetite and cause you to eat more calories. You’re more likely to eat foods high in sugar and fat. If your body isn’t rested, it’s going to seek high caloric foods for energy.
Finally, one of the most important factors to consider is that sleep affects your sugar metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk. Shortened sleep is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. This is when your body cannot use the hormone insulin properly.
Sleep deprivation can cause negative changes like decreased insulin sensitivity, increased inflammation, and hunger hormone (ghrelin) changes, as well as behavioral changes, like poor decision making and greater food intake. These all increase diabetes risk.
As you can see, prioritizing sleep is critical to your health. Sleep is not just a science, but an art. Our modern day life is our worst enemy to getting a good night’s sleep. The art of sleeping is learned by changing your overall sleep hygiene. At FastEatLive.com we coach our clients on this learned behavior. The timing of shutting down screens and light sources, limiting food and fluid intake close to bedtime, proper supplements to support sleep, morning sun exposure, daily exercise, and quiet, focused time for your thoughts right before bed, are all key.
Focus on more sleep and better sleep quality, and you’ll instantly see an improvement in your health and well-being.
