In times of crisis or stress, it’s interesting to see what we prioritize.
When budget cuts happened to the military, one of the first things the Coast Guard cut to free up additional spending was the fitness and health program. In their view, operational units such as the maritime vessels and aircraft were the most important (which is a fair argument) and so the financial surplus went to them. However, it also showed that the fitness programs were not a priority for a military organization, which was odd in my opinion.
We do this on an individual level all the time, though. When career or family life gets busy with additional job responsibilities or an addition to the family happens, health and wellness are left at the back of the line. And no, I’m not talking about just the gym time, although oftentimes that is one of the first things to be cut. We cut out sleep, staying up longer hours, getting up earlier, and not protecting the quality of sleep that we do allow for. In Sleep: The Key to Fat Loss and Muscle Gain, the problems of sleeplessness are alluded to:
- Increase in Leptin and Ghrelin (hunger hormones)
- Increase in Cortisol (stress hormone)
- Increased Insulin Production
- Poor Decision Making
- Lower Production of Growth Hormone & Testosterone
- And Lack of Energy
These are excellent points and show an obvious correlation to stunting muscle growth. But today I want to go a bit further – instead of focusing just on the lack of muscle growth, I want to speak on how lack of sleep actually increases fat gain. Studies show even partial deprivation causes a 20% increase in voluntary energy intake, meaning you eat more the longer you’re awake.
Not only are you impairing athletic performance, muscle gain, and cognitive abilities, you’re increasing your percentage of increased food intake. And because your impulse control is diminished as your sleep debt increased, you’re more likely to consume more calorie dense foods like pizza, donuts, and other processed items.
In the study mentioned above, sleep deprivation caused an increased caloric intake of around 1000 calories due to night time eating. The longer you’re up, the likelihood of you snacking (or drinking) increases. As you continue this habit, your impulse control diminishes and your food choices tend to become worse. Specifically, trial studies indicated an increase in overall fat content in the food choices, including saturated fats. The data showed a direct correlation in the reduction of sleep equals increased energy and fat intakes.
What’s the takeaway here? If you’re a person with particularly good self-control and don’t eat additional meals, you can get away with it? Nope, because even then, you’re dealing with impaired brain-muscle connections, impaired focus, increased inflammation, and impaired insulin signaling along with a host of other problems. And as those problems increase, the likelihood that your self-control diminishes increases.
The fact of the matter is, as stress and life changes come into play, health and wellness need to be the last things to go. Sleep should be prioritized over everything. If cuts need to be made, they should be taken from day-time activities like television, games, and idle time. If you go to bed earlier, you can rise earlier to finish your studies, go to the gym, or take care of business.
What can you do to improve your sleep?
Here are eight tips to a better night’s sleep:
- Get on a sleep schedule – try to go to bed at the same time every night.
- Exercise regularly – mental and physical tiredness will increase your body’s need for recovery and sleep.
- Create a restful environment – a dark, cool room is ideal for sleeping. Cut down on blue light (computers, phones) due to their ability to stimulate the brain.
- Wind down before bed by reading (a real book, not an electronic one), listing to relaxing music, or soaking in a hot tub.
- Keep work materials and electronics outside of the bedroom.
- Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol 3-5 hours before bed.
- Avoid long naps during the day.
- Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows and keep the room cooled.
If you have hit a plateau in your training or your fat loss, consider whether lack of sleep is responsible for it.
– Beau