Sleep Your Way to Fit: A Workout You Can Do with Your Eyes Closed

We all know that we should get a good night's sleep. However, did you know that getting a good night's sleep is a significant factor for getting into shape?

Sleep is often overlooked when it comes to fitness. Rest is a vital part of getting in shape, and it has a significant effect on your weight loss goals. Let's take a closer look at sleep and the role it plays in getting fit and losing weight.

The Physiology of Sleep

There are two types of sleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid-eye-movement (REM). When you are asleep, you are cycling between them. NREM is the vast majority of your cycle, comprising 75 to 80 percent of your sleep, with REM taking the other 25 to 20 percent.

Perhaps the most pertinent thing that happens during sleep associated with your physical fitness is with the endocrine system, or your flow of hormones. The growth hormone is what helps repair and build muscles, which is essential when you are getting into shape.

Recovery and Sleep

When you exercise, you need to replenish your fluids, rest, and recover afterward. When you don't get enough sleep between workouts, you could experience:
• Longer bouts with sore muscles
• Moodiness and stress
• Decreases in glucose processing
• Decreases in physical endurance
• Increases in how much exertion you feel you are making while exercising

Losing Weight While You Sleep

The amount of sleep you get will affect how you eat and your success at losing weight. Sleep deprived endocrine systems produce more of the hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin), which can lead to overeating.

Finally, sleep deprivation can make it harder for you to do the right thing. When you are tired, you aren't as diligent about making healthy choices, and you cannot work out with the same intensity you can when you are well-rested.