Did you know that sleep affects your metabolism AND ability to lose weight?

Sleep allows our bodies to recover from stressors such as work, working out, emotional stress, and so much more. Starting your day without enough recovery encourages a cycle of high-stress levels and bad behaviours, keeping you in a negative frame of mind and possibly even leading to poor food choices.

When you are well-rested, your body is more likely to run properly encouraging weight loss and supporting your metabolism. Take a moment to think of all the times you are getting less than 6+ hours of sleep-is it occurring regularly? If so, you could be hindering your progress by not getting enough sleep.

Here are some tips to help improve your sleep:

• Try having some casein or yoghurt before bed
• Turn the TV and all other electronic devices off 30 minutes before bed (read a book instead)
• STOP drinking water an hour before bed
• Keep your routine SEVEN days a week
• Avoid eating within 2 hours of your bedtime
• Try drinking some hot tea

Avoid these things before bed:

• Sugar
• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Alcohol

Regardless of your schedule, these tips can be very beneficial, but for you night workers, here are some additional tips:

• Don’t postpone sleep; you will become more awake the longer you stay up
• Set aside 7-9-hour blocks for sleep–it may take you longer to wind down so you may need more time.
• Make sure your thermostat is set to cool; we rest better in cool environments
• Use blackout curtains to keep your room dark.
• Try to keep a regular work and sleep schedule, consistency is key. Avoid rotation shifts and break up the number of nights you work in a row.
• Share your sleep schedule with others to minimize the number of calls and messages being sent during your sleep time.

Use the tips above! Especially #7, avoiding sugar and caffeine while at work can aid in falling asleep faster and resting better.

Coach Paul