There is just something about a good night’s sleep, am I right? ⠀ ⠀ And the past few nights, mine has never been better. I think it’s fair to say the cool nights help me want to crawl under the blankets earlier, but cleaning up my sleep hygiene has also had also a crucial impact on my habits. ⠀ ⠀ In order to see body recomposition, a restful sleep has to be the foundation of our efforts. Yes, you’ll lose weight if you’re in a calorie deficit and can even gain some strength if training and protein are dialed in, but without the sleep component, you will not optimize your results. Which is a shame when you’re putting in so much hard work during your waking hours! ⠀ ⠀ ❗️Keep in mind❗️ Your brain doesn’t know the difference between stress incurred from your kids screaming, that workout your crushed, your calorie deficit or that daunting work task. They all deplete you and require recovery; and no amount of self care will restore you like sleep.⠀ ⠀ But if you think a super tough workout will alleviate your stress, think again. There’s a good chance that after those endorphins wear off, stress will be compounded, leaving your cortisol levels higher than ever and making sleep even more elusive.⠀ ⠀ What can assist is to establish a nighttime routine:⠀ ⠀ 👉Silence your devices. I try to go dark around 7:30 even if I don’t crawl into bed for a couple hours.⠀ 👉If you do need to work by light of a screen, try wearing blue-light blocking glasses⠀ 👉Don’t fear carbs after dark! End with a balanced evening meal containing carbohydrates (PRO TIP: they always taste better when your kids are in bed)⠀ ⠀ Carbohydrates not only help lower cortisol, but also stimulate the production of insulin, which shuttles melatonin to our cells and helps us fall asleep. Know what else insulin is good for? Muscle building. That’s right; adaptations, mood regulation and tissue repair all occur during our sleep. ⠀ ⠀ 💥If you’re out there trying every supplement on the market or killing yourself with daily cardio, take a step back and consider the hierarchy of your heath needs 🖤⠀ ⠀ I’d love to know - what is in your nighttime routine? 💤🌙⠀
September 10, 2019
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