Are you ready to sleep your way to the top?
If you're like most Americans, you probably aren't quite there yet.
"How can she ask such an impetuous question," you ask?
Well, my dear, I'm referring to getting a good old night's rest, not having hot, sweaty sex with all the judges at your next contest in exchange for that overall winner's trophy you covet so greatly.
Funny how we automatically associate sleeping with having sex. When did sleeping stop meaning actual sleep?
Do we not care about sleep any longer, or are our minds, instead of sugar plums, filled with visions of dancing, throbbing hard-ons? Or maybe, we're just too busy?
Judging by all the unhappy men walking around, I'd venture to say my last guess is most accurate.
Seems we're too busy running around in a dazed stupor, trying so hard but getting nothing accomplished off our infamous "to do" lists, hanging so expressively on our ice boxes. Those refrigerators overstuffed to the limit with frost bitten TV dinners, because, you guessed it — there's just no time to cook.
Take time to smell the roses, or for that matter make time to count those sheep.
American society is driven by the thought that one must be constantly active and always entertained. The many responsibilities we place upon ourselves have actually become part of who we are. We can't imagine our lives without the intensively strict schedule we've convinced ourselves we must follow, and because of which we're steadily losing precious sleep.
Now I'm not telling you to become the next Rip Van Winkle, or to do your best Snow White impersonation by eating a poison apple and passing out in a coma, but there must be a balance somewhere!
Since the 1960's Americans have given up an average of two hours of sleep each night. Needless to say, this has been leading to an increase of chronic sleep deficit, which results in major health problems.
Think of all the hormones your body produces during the different stages of sleep. These hormones have a direct impact on hunger! Numerous studies have shown there to be a definite correlation with sleep loss and changes in leptin, ghrelin, and other hormones that control the appetite centers of the brain, not to mention the body's ability to use and store calories.
If affected, these hormones produce a hunger increase and lead to promotion of weight gain. All because you lack sleep.
Considering that as much as two-thirds of the US population is overweight or obese, this issue needs to be addressed. Sleep and obesity are undeniably directly related. (1)
It appears that counting sheep may be as important as performing those grueling cardio sessions and keeping to the perfect diet. You'd think that those forever-active people who devour cases of energy drinks, stay up all night watching Sex and the City reruns, and posting away on the forums are destined to always be thin because they stay active through the night.
Ironically, the exact opposite is true.
Comparing data from almost half a century ago to today's statistics, it's clear that people are sleeping significantly less these days. Number of hours of sleep dropped from nine to less than seven hours nightly.(2) While there may be mitigating factors present, it's clear that overall weight gain is squarely related to our nation's sleep deprivation.
Sleep is not just a matter of lying down with your eyes closed. There are different stages of it and your hormone patterns fluctuate up and down in a natural rhythm in these stages. This is referred to as the Circadian Rhythm.
When sleep is restricted or interrupted, the hormone pattern follows accordingly. Now, don't forget, these hormones you're interrupting are ones that influence appetite along with other physiological behavior!
The hormones that have the strongest effect on body composition are leptin and ghrelin; we'll take a look at each of these individually.
Leptin has a central role in fat metabolism. It can be described as the signal to the brain that there's fat on the body. High levels of leptin naturally suppress appetite, so if there isn't enough of this hormone being produced, the brain thinks there's not enough adipose tissue on the body. It then begins to tirelessly stimulate the appetite, causing the individual to eat more and more in a never ending effort to get the leptin to signal that there's sufficient fat present.
Ghrelin is produced by the stomach. It stimulates appetite when the stomach is empty. When the body senses low energy levels, this hormone will also signal leptin levels to drop, leading to the feeling of hunger. Conversely, when low levels of ghrelin are present, appetite is reduced. (3)
Numerous studies have shown that leptin and ghrelin are dramatically influenced by changes in sleep duration. As frightening as this is, there's still more to this horror story!
Even the hormone Cortisol is affected by sleep. Cortisol levels increase drastically as the amount of sleep plummets, and this hormone is notorious for being hugely detrimental to your muscle-gaining or fat loss goals, as it's extremely catabolic when present in high levels.
You take pills for your "thyroid condition," but did you ever stop to check if you're sleeping enough?
A blood test can determine whether your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels are out of range, and a reduction in TSH can cause a substantial decrease in the number of calories your body naturally burns each day, resulting in a "slow metabolism." There are plenty of meds out there that'll pump you full of synthetic thyroid hormones, but did you know that in many cases, all you may need for your natural ones to come alive is a few extra z's?
How about your glucose levels; analyze those lately?
Your body's natural ability to handle ingested sugar is called your glucose tolerance. If the body becomes insulin resistant, fat storage is accelerated. Sleep deprivation will impair glucose tolerance over time, leading you down a clear path to becoming a supreme fat storing machine as you require more and more insulin to shuttle those sugar molecules.
What about one of the most important hormones for building and repairing muscle after you've damaged it at your last grueling workout? This hormone is also responsible for keeping your skin young, your bones, teeth, and nails strong, and maintaining overall health. Growth hormone, anyone?
That's right, HGH. Your body only produces growth hormone in spurts, and it does so while you're asleep. Deprive your body of hours of sleep, and you're creating a severe catabolic state. No growth hormone means no muscle building and no fat loss, it's as simple that.
Growth hormone levels decrease as we age. Getting enough quality sleep becomes increasingly important as the years go by; otherwise, GH secretions will tumble earlier than necessary. Any deviance from this rule will lead to ultimate failure by the time you're in your 30's, and there'll be nothing you can do about it no matter how hard you train or diet.
The importance of a sound sleep routine should be plenty clear at this point. Get in the habit of doing the same things at the same time each night. Once regulated, your body will be accustomed to being tired as your bedtime approaches.
You have your flawless training regimen and a perfectly detailed diet. Now for the ultimate trifecta, I present to you a fat burning/muscle building sleep program.
Read The 5-Step Formula to Stress Relief Incorporate the tips outlined in the article into your lifestyle as soon as possible; you'll begin to notice changes in your attitude and consequently your sleep cycles, in just a few short weeks!
Despite what your husband may say, your mattress is the most important piece of furniture in your home — not the seventy inch High Def 1080i Plasma TV with Dolby Pro Logic PCM48 Megahertz HDMI cable surround-sound with bass extenders. Do the latter contribute to your health or well being? He may debate this, but the answer is no, they don't!
If your old mattress leaves coil spring indentation marks on your back, it may be time for a better mattress. If you just happen to be one of those crazy people who show off their high pain threshold by lying on a bed of nails, feel free to disregard this section; otherwise, take this suggestion close to heart.
If your mattress has peaks so high they'd make Dolly Parton jealous, valleys as deep as the Grand Canyon, and it lumps and sags more than your 100 year-old grandma without a bra, a new mattress will do wonders for your quality of sleep.
Tons of great information about the art of meditation may be found by doing a simple web search. Nothing's helped me fall asleep faster than learning to relax prior to hitting the hay.
This may be as simple as listening to a CD filled with white noise or nature sounds such as the ocean or forest animals. Even a nice love-making session with your hot husband pre-bedtime qualifies! Whatever relaxes you will work.
Don't watch TV or read any mystery or suspense novels as these lead to brain stimulation and we're trying to wind down. Make your bedroom a relaxation and meditation haven. Meditating before sleep will slow your body and mind, allowing you to get to a point where it's easier to fall asleep quickly.
Try meditating about 30 minutes prior to bedtime, for 15 minutes or so. Surround yourself with candles or incense to help the relaxation process, and think about nothing but the feeling of floating you'll begin to experience. You'll eventually start to truly feel weightless. Your mind will become clear and focused on nothing.
With practice, you'll get better results over a shorter period of time. And as an added bonus, if you have a stressful job, this process will lead to a more relaxed attitude and better performance during the day.
I'm not telling you to scrape off that 1985 poster of John Stamos time-welded onto your wooden-paneled wall. But the fact of the matter is, that computer you're reading this off of better not be in the same room as your bed!
Bedrooms are for sleeping, not brain-stimulating activities. Hosting the Genital Olympics in your boudoir is still okay, but that's the only kind of stimulation permitted.
The most important thing to understand about Feng Shui is that structures around you have an aura and emanate energy. There's always energy surrounding your personal space, so it makes sense to arrange everything in a way that engenders an involuntary positive response.
Feng Shui concepts and guidelines relate to everything from compass directions, colors, and natural elements, to your personal aspirations. The idea is to create a bedroom that's very tranquil and soothing; a space that'll prompt relaxation immediately upon entering it.
Properly placed candles, for instance, illicit a tranquil feeling in me, so I have quite a few in my bedroom. As for compass directions, pointing your bed to the North will result in more sex. Always a good thing, in my book!
There is nothing like sleeping soundly and getting a good night's rest every night, and since I started taking my Biotest pre-bed supplements, the quality and length of sleep I used to get have both improved tenfold.
Your basic sleep supplementation should include Z-12, ZMA and Flameout.
There isn't much more I can say about Z-12; its effects are nothing short of miraculous! This supplement ensures that I get a full night's rest without any grogginess the next morning (that's a hell of a lot more than any user of over the counter sleeping meds can claim!). Say goodnight to panic attacks and goodbye to insomnia.
ZMA works through a different mechanism altogether. If you're a Figure Athlete or just under a lot of stress you need extra Zinc and Magnesium for your best performance. Additionally, both of these minerals will do a number to aid in HGH and testosterone production while you sleep.
You'll also get double the benefits when you start taking Flameout before bed. Not only are there the anti-inflammatory properties, but you also get to burn fat while you sleep due to its potent Omega-3 content.
Use all three supplements in conjunction prior to dozing off and you'll become one sleeping fat burning furnace!
Lack of sleep will floor the brakes on any attempt at fat loss and do a number to sabotage any bulking progress, but you don't have to let it get that far. Use these ideas to win the battle between balancing life's demands and maintaining adequate health. Follow this program exactly as laid out, and after one to two weeks you'll notice a dramatic difference in your sleep quality, your overall feeling of well-being, and even your waistline.
If your attempt at leaning out left you stumped for answers, you now know that your lack of sleep may have been the reason for such futile efforts. If you follow your diet and training routines like clockwork yet fail to make progress, it may be time to overhaul your sleep program.
Give it a go and wake up to a new you!
1. Flier JS. Obesity wars; molecular progress confronts an expanding epidemic. Cell, 2004;116:337-50.
2. National Sleep Foundation.2005 "Sleep in America" Poll. Washington, DC; National Sleep Foundation; 2005.
3. Van der Lely Aj, Tschop M, et al. Biological, physiological, pathophysiological, and pharmacological aspects of ghrelin. Endocr Rev, 2004;25:426-57.
Article Discussions
