This is CRUCIAL to Losing Weight For Good!
It’s a cloudy day with temperatures in the low 50s here on Long Island, and I just woke up from a nap. The last couple of nights have been tough to sleep during. My dog has had some sort of stomach bug, so he’s had a few nasty accidents in the house shortly before bed that have required extended periods of cleaning and attention.
Sadly, today’s nap was interrupted by my bunny continuously thumping… :-/
Fun Fact: Bunnies aren’t vocal creatures like cats or dogs are, and thus thump for one of two reasons: 1) Because they sense danger, or 2) They’re not pleased with something. Lately, Bunsworth (his name) has been on an attention kick, so it seems to be Option 2, where he needs quite a bit of petting and newspaper (his favorite activity is ripping up newspaper) to pacify his insecurities.
Don’t you just love animals? 0:-)
Anyhow, thanks to my furry friends and my current state of sleep deprivation, I wanted to take my personal struggles with sleep and discuss why getting a consistent amount of QUALITY sleep is pivotal towards losing weight and KEEPING IT OFF.
You may have heard me say in the past that the most important physical component of weight loss is nutrition. This is, of course, assuming you’re getting enough sleep.
When we’re sleep-deprived, both our bodies and our minds don’t function at an optimal level. We have brain fog, we’re moody, we have low energy, and our motivation is slim-to-none.
Due to our lack of sleep, the stress hormone cortisol is released, which is a major contributor to weight gain thanks to our bodies being in a survival state. If lack of sleep is a regular thing for you, then difficulty losing weight will almost certainly transpire, regardless of your fitness or dietary efforts.
Thanks, Fight or Flight!
Obviously, if you’re a parent or have furry bundles of joy like I do, sometimes the greatest intentions don’t yield the greatest intended results. That being said, it’s CRUCIAL to make sleep a priority for you, just like you would regular exercise and eating right.
Here are some tips I personally use to insure that I get high quality sleep on the nights the stars align and I can do such a thing:
1. Make sure the room is dark and quiet. If you have noisy neighbors and live in an apartment complex like I do, you might need to invest in a…
2. Sound Machine. My girlfriend and I purchased a sound machine a couple of months back, and now we can’t fall asleep without it. Our’s has four different sounds it makes, ranging from just white noise to a thunderstorm to the sound of a stream flowing. In our case, we like the sound of the stream. I forgot what the fourth is, which is why I didn’t list it here…
3. Turn OFF all electronic devices when you’re getting ready for bed! TVs, laptops, tablets and cellphones all emit a ‘blue light’ that causes us to stay awake. Have you ever turned the TV on 30 minutes before you planned to fall asleep, and next thing you knew, it was 3:00 in the morning and you’ve binge-watched an entire series on Netflix? It’s the ‘blue light!’ While cell phones and tablets now have a ‘Night Shift’ mode that’s apparently better in this regard, I’m not sure I’d trust it in the event I needed sound, quality sleep for a big day starting the next morning.
4. Sleep in 90 minute intervals. Everybody’s different. Some people only need six hours and can function optimally, while others need seven-and-a-half, or even nine. If you’re not sure what that number is for you, it may take some trial-and-error, but it is assuredly either six, seven-and-a-half, or nine hours per night. It takes about 20 minutes for the average person to fall asleep, so if you’re planning to be in bed at 10:00, make sure you’re in bed no later than 9:40.
When it comes to napping, sleeping in specific intervals are important, too! There are two types of naps I recommend, and personally swear by: 1) A Power Nap, and 2) A Long Nap.
A Power Nap lasts anywhere from 10–20 minutes. Because you’re not getting any REM (Rapid Eye Movement) you’d get while in a deep sleep, you’ll awake more alert, with more energy, without any grogginess.
A Long Nap lasts for one full sleep cycle, or 90 minutes. There will be some REM during this type of nap, and as a result, your emotional, procedural and creative memory will be primed and ready to go upon waking. No grogginess will be evident either after a Long Nap.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Get some QUALITY sleep tonight! If you have a rough night, then perhaps a nap the next day is in order.
Naps aren’t just for babies and small children! If you actually study some of the most successful people who have ever lived, then you’ll notice that a vast majority of them took AT LEAST one nap each day. The notion in this country that sleep is for the weak is an incredibly misguided notion that needs to be done away with immediately.
I can say from personal experience that I’m sharper, more alert, and just better at EVERYTHING when I’m well-rested compared to when I’m not. Think about the areas of your life that you’re not excelling in right now, and how improved cognition can better those particular aspects.
Hope you found this helpful! Until tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Coach Pete
pete@weightlossbypete.com
P.S. Are you READY to lose weight for the last time? If so, let me teach you how to not only reach your short-term goals, but how to STAY THERE for the rest of your life!
I’m taking a few strategy calls over the next couple of weeks, and would love to chat with you! You can book your’s by going to www.weightlossbypete.com/strategy.
P.P.S. PLEASE watch out for the confirmation email after you’ve made your booking, and fill out the Health Questionnaire in the link attached to the confirmation email. It’s VERY important you do this before our call so I have the best medical and injury history on hand while we go through your specific goals.
I look forward to chatting with you!
