SLEEP HEALTH
… One of the most under utilized tools for hormonal balance and fat loss
Are you getting enough sleep? Maybe you're trying to but your brain just won't shut off. Or, maybe you're one of the many folks who tends to burn the candle at both ends, creating the sense that you "don’t have time to sleep".
Sleep is one of the most underrated ways to support your hormones, brain health, and also your weight loss efforts. If you aren’t prioritizing sleep, you are likely missing out on optimal recovery and health.
How Does Sleep Affect Our Hormones?
We have two important hormones that help regulate our appetite and fullness cues called leptin and ghrelin.
Leptin, which helps control our appetite, is produced by our fat cells during sleep. When we are sleep deprived, we have lower levels of leptin being produced. This can cause our appetite to be higher, which can lead to eating more calories throughout the day. Sleep deprivation can also cause an increase in the hormone ghrelin.
Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach and tells us when we are hungry. With the increase in our hunger hormones and decrease in the hormones that cause us to feel full, you can see how this is a recipe for the desire to eat more calories.
To add more fuel to the fire, with a lack of sleep, our cortisol (the infamous stress hormone) increases with less sleep. This makes us less resilient to stress and can also lead to craving more carb heavy, processed foods. These foods typically don’t keep us full for very long and can also contribute to blood sugar dysregulation. With blood sugar regulation already on the fritz from not sleeping well or from not sleeping enough, we're simply adding more and more stress to the body by feeling hungry, increasing cortisol, and craving foods that may have a negative impact on blood sugar regulation.
Needless to say, impaired glucose uptake combined with eating extra calories is not only a recipe for weight gain and inflammation, but it also puts us at an increased risk of diabetes and/or hormonal dysregulation.
Sleep and Sex Hormones
What about those important sex hormones?
Testosterone is known as a male hormone but women need adequate levels of testosterone too. Healthy levels of testosterone can improve energy, help optimize insulin, improve mood, skin, and is part of a healthy libido… Not to mention it helps us build and maintain muscle! The majority of testosterone is produced while we sleep so if we aren’t prioritizing sleep, we will be missing out on optimal levels of testosterone. However, testosterone isn’t the only hormone that is affected by lack of sleep…
Estrogen and progesterone, when in balance can give us energy, reduce anxiety and improve our mood. These hormones are intricately tied to our stress, inflammation and blood sugar regulation as well. Remember, lack of sleep increases our stress response, inflammation and insulin resistance.
No sleep = lack of optimal hormone production.
Ways To Support A Healthy Circadian Rhythm
While it’s easy to start a vicious cycle by stressing about all the sleep we haven’t been getting (and then not be able to sleep because we are stressed), there is a lot we can do to better prioritize sleep. We have the power to improve our sleep and in turn improve our health!
So, how do we prioritize sleep to wake up feeling energized and well rested?
1. Keep a consistent sleep/wake schedule
….YES, even on the weekend. Our body is intricately tied to the rise and fall of the sun. Our body thrives off of a schedule. Not only can we get more sleep, but we can improve the quality of our sleep if we stick to a consistent sleep/wake cycle. Imagine waking up and not feeling groggy in the morning? Or going to bed and falling right asleep? Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help with this!
2. Get some bright natural light in your eyes first thing in the morning!
Getting outside as soon as possible after you wake up can not only help your alertness in the morning, but can also help to set you up for a healthy circadian rhythm and improve your sleep at night. Even cloudy natural light is better than staying indoors. Try starting your day with a morning walk outside or a cup of coffee in the yard!
3. Have a bedtime routine (and stick to it)
We are constantly on the go and most of us are chronically stressed. This can leave us feeling exhausted but wired and unable to get to sleep; we often call this “wired but tired”. We have to set our brain and body up for success if we want to be able to hop into bed and fall asleep pretty quickly. This often starts with our thoughts and habits in the evening.
Remember how I said our body is intricately connected to the rise and fall of the sun? As the sun goes in and skies get darker come evening time, it’s a signal to the body to increase melatonin production and decrease cortisol levels. However, our modern day lives often prevent our bodies from getting this signal (lights in our home, smart devices, phones, TVs, etc). We have an abundance of artificial lights and screens bombarding us, further preventing optimal melatonin production. Note: Melatonin makes us sleepy! We have to control the inputs that are stimulating our brain and telling us to stay awake if we want to improve our sleep quality.
Our recommendations? Dim the lights in your home and reduce screen use as much as possible close to bedtime. In addition, opt to use blue light blocking glasses (or even better, blue and green light blockers) as soon as the sun goes down.
Additionally, it's important to take steps to reduce your stress in the evening. Have a stretching routine, implement 5-10 min of meditation and deep breathing, a night time journal reflection, etc. If you are someone who struggles to shut your brain off at night, make a habit of doing a “brain dump” on paper to get out all of the thoughts that just won’t let you sleep. Remember, YOU have more control and power than you think you do to change your situation.
4. Reduce the temperature in your room or house
Studies show optimal sleeping temperatures are between 62-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Making sure your room is cool can help improve your overall sleep.
5. Keep your room as dark as possible
Even just a small amount of light from something as small as a night light can negatively impact optimal melatonin production. Invest in black out curtains and keep electronics and lights out of your bedroom. You can also invest in an eye mask if you're comfortable sleeping with one on.
6. Avoid eating large meals closer to bedtime
No, this isn’t because your body stores food as fat after a certain magical time (I think you know us better then to push that myth!). Our bodies work hard to repair itself while we sleep. As a result, we don’t want energy to be diverted to trying to digest food while we are sleeping, as opposed to the rebuilding and repairing process. We tend to have less restful sleep if we eat large meals closer to bedtime. Aiming to have your last meal 2-3 hours before bed is typically optimal for most people.
7. Get to bed earlier!
If you think you are a night owl, slowly work to get to bed earlier by small increments of 15-30 minutes every few days until you are going to bed at a reasonable time each night.
Our goal for sleep should be aiming for AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep each night on a regular basis. If you think you don’t have enough time for 7 hours of sleep, it's time to reevaluate your schedule and create better boundaries. We prioritize the things that are important to us! Sleep needs to be one of those things!
You and your health are important and you will likely be more productive in your waking hours if you focus on getting enough quality sleep!
We hope you learned something new, fam!
ZzZz you next week! - Coach Courtney