Are you eating clean, whole foods and exercising regularly, yet still falling short of your health goals? Inadequate sleep may be to blame. We all know that diet and movement are important, but without quality Zzz's you're bound to come up short.
You are not alone! 80% of people report sleeping problems at least once a week.
What's so important about sleeping?
Sleeping restores, repairs, and rejuvenates the body and mind. Many major restorative functions such as muscle growth, protein synthesis, and hormone release mainly occur when we're asleep.
Sleeping assists in memory formation and plays a critical role in brain development in infants and young children. In adults, sleeping improves learning ability and task performance.
Sleeping & Weight Loss
Lost hours of rest can mean extra pounds on the scale. Without adequate sleep, the brain becomes fatigued and therefore more likely to make poor decisions--like skipping the gym or using a cookie as a pick-me-up.
Overall, sleep-deprived people tend to consume more calories than their well-rested counterparts. Insufficient Zzzs also directly impact your cortisol levels and hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin). With these out of wack, you're prone to eat more and hang onto extra fat.
Sleeping & Diabetes
Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on the body and is doubly damaging for people with diabetes. Poor sleep has been linked to:- High blood sugar levels
- Increased insulin resistance
- Increased A1c
Sleeping less than 4 hours per night can reduce insulin sensitivity by up to 21%.
High blood sugar often induces thirst and frequent urination, both of which can interrupt rest.
Low blood sugar may cause sweating, shaking, dizziness, and/or hunger that awake you during the night.
In the long run, diabetes raises your risk of developing sleep-disorders such as apnea and restless legs syndrome. We weren't kidding... sleep is important!
So, grab a pillow and check out our One Drop Guide to Stellar Sleep so you can start sleeping well and living healthfully TODAY 🙌
