Sleep is the first thing to go when we’re busy.
And it’s always at the bottom of our list of priorities.
But not getting enough high-quality sleep might have a bigger impact on your progress than just feeling a bit sleepy the next day.
Here’s how poor sleep can damage all that hard work you’ve put in...
ENERGY
When you’re feeling exhausted and sleep-deprived, it’s understandable that the last thing you probably feel like doing is putting your trainers on and heading to the gym.
But if severe tiredness is consistently stopping you from exercising, it can have a detrimental effect on your progress and the results you deserve.
In addition to stopping you from hitting the gym, over-tiredness can increase sugar and caffeine cravings for that quick hit of energy they provide.
EMOTIONS Without getting too scientific, the part of the brain that’s in charge of our emotions is 30% more reactive when we’re sleep deprived.
And when our emotions are all over the place, we reach for comfort - often in the shape of food.
Especially highly processed, easy-to-eat foods that make us feel good.
Now these types of food (chocolate, crisps, fast food etc.) are perfectly healthy if eaten as part of a balanced diet but if you are consistently sleep deprived, emotional and seeking comfort in processed foods, it can make achieving your goals nearly impossible.
All in all, low mood & unstable emotions are unlikely to foster a successful mindset for producing incredible results, are they?
DECISION-MAKING
Did you know that going 24 hours without sleep is the equivalent to drinking 3 alcoholic drinks?
That’s the same as being legally drunk.
Now we all know how we do not make our best decisions while drunk, and it’s no different when we’re sleep deprived.
Severe lack of sleep means you may struggle to make mindful, logical decisions when it comes to your nutrition, fitness and general wellbeing, and have a damaging effect on your progress as a result.
APPETITE
You hardly slept and the next day your appetite is almost never-ending - sound familiar?
Tiredness and hunger often go hand in hand because the hormones that control our hunger signals can be thrown out of whack by lack of sleep.
An uncontrollable appetite, on top of raging emotions and a lack of mindful decisions make it even more difficult to achieve the results you want.
IMMUNITY
Poor sleep can have a slightly more subtle impact on your progress - it can weaken your immunity and make you susceptible to catching coughs, colds and other illnesses.
And as you might expect, if you’re getting ill on a regular basis, it can negatively impact your progress, either preventing you from being able to train well or stopping you from training at all.
INJURY
Sleep is the time when our bodies recover & repair so it shouldn’t be a surprise that if we’re not getting enough sleep, our bodies will suffer.
This not only puts you at greater risk of catching a cough or a cold, but also of physically injuring yourself, which can unfortunately stop your progress in it's tracks.
As you may have realised by now, sleep plays an underrated yet vital role in making brilliant progress both in & out of the gym.
Don't neglect yourself any longer from great sleep & the even better results that come with it - why not start with these 10 Steps To Better Quality Sleep?
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