Sleep and Hormone Release
Everyone is different and different people need different amounts of sleep. If you are training hard, you will likely need more sleep to fully recuperate from your workouts. Studies have found that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to crave the foods that lead to obesity than people who get adequate sleep. In addition, insulin production and usage can became abnormal, mimicking diabetes, and cortisol levels can increased. Cortisol is stress hormone that is associated with belly fat.
Growth hormone and testosterone production occurs during sleep. So if you are not getting enough rest you will be robbing yourself of these muscle building hormones. The intensity of your workouts and your general well-being will also be negatively affected if you don’t sleep enough. So figure out how much sleep you need to feel your best and get it.
Tips on Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
Stop working work at least one hour before bed. This will allow your mind time to unwind and let go of thoughts about work. You will be a lot more productive the following day if you get a good night’s sleep.
Don’t watch TV or use the computer before bed. It’s all too easy to stay up late watching TV or surfing the web. Make a conscious effort to avoid them for at least an hour or two before going to sleep.
Read. Many people have found that they can fall asleep within minutes when they’re reading in bed. Don't read anything too exciting though, as this may have the opposite effect. If you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours.
Remove your clock from your view. Constantly looking at your clock can make you worried about how little sleep you will be getting. That anxiety can keep you up and give you even less sleep.
Listen to relaxing music. Some people find that listening to soothing music or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.
Eat Turkey. Turkey contains an essential amino acid, called L-tryptophan, that has been documented to have a sleep inducing effect. That is part of the reason you may feel a little sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner.
Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and if you have it too late in the day or are sensitive to it, it could affect your ability to get to sleep. For most healthy people caffeine has a 3-4 hour half-life. That means if you have 1 cup of coffee, after 3-4 hours your body will get rid of half of the caffeine from that coffee. Another 3-4 hour after that you will still have about one quarter of the caffeine in your system. The half-life of caffeine varies widely among individuals according to factors such as age, liver function, pregnancy, some concurrent medications, and the level of enzymes in the liver needed for caffeine metabolism. Keep in mind how late you late you can have caffeine without affecting your sleep.
Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, alcohol will also prevent you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing and hormone production.
Keep your sleeping area as dark as possible. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland which controls the body’s circadian rhythm. Darkness stimulates the release of melatonin and light suppresses its activity. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin.
Use an eye mask to block out light. As written above, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. Using an eye mask can help to block out any remaining light coming in through your blinds or from your appliances.
Establish a bedtime routine. Establishing a bedtime routine will send the message to your brain that it is time to get ready for sleep. This could include reading, meditation, or deep breathing. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed.