Written By: Kelly Gonzalez – ACE Certified CPT, Lifestyle Consultant, NPC Bikini Competitor, Fitness Model and Freelance Writer - www.kellygonzalez.com
We’ve all experienced it at some point. For some it may even be a chronic issue. The aching body, mental grogginess, irritable mood, headaches, and cravings for sugary and high fat foods are all results of sleep deprivation.
In today’s busy world sleep is often overlooked. The more hours awake provide more time for productivity, but eventually your body will tell you “no more!” No, you won’t fall into a hibernating state as soon as the body’s had it; instead the signs will be much more subtle; maybe your mood and temperament has changed for the worse, perhaps you’ve gained a few pounds, or maybe you’re susceptible to every virus you come into contact with.
Our bodies like routine
Regular changes in mental and physical characteristics that occur in the course of a day are called circadian rhythms. Physiological cycles such as locomotor activity, sleep/wake cycles, and food intake patterns are all circadian rhythms that we encounter throughout the 24-hour day. Disruption to these rhythms can negatively affect your health. Lack of sleep or drastic changes to your sleep pattern can wreak havoc on your health.
Weight Gain
If you are awake and expanding more energy each day wouldn’t you burn more calories in the process?
Not if sleep is the sacrifice. Our bodies need sleep in order for our hormones to function properly. The two primary hormones that control appetite are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin tells us that we are “full,” and signals us to put the fork down and stop eating. Ghrelin is the “hunger hormone,” it sends a message to our brain that tells us we are hungry and need to eat for energy. Lack of sleep can alter these hormones causing a decrease in leptin and increase in ghrelin. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine (December 2004) discovered that sleep restriction was associated with an 18% decrease in leptin and 28% increase in ghrelin in 12 healthy male subjects. Hunger and appetite for high calorie dense foods containing high amounts of carbohydrates increased 33-45%.
Calories
To manage a healthy weight or lose weight it’s essential to eat the appropriate amount of calories. When our hormones are out of whack and our appetite is increased it’s difficult to keep portion sizes and cravings under control and keep snacking to a minimum. Fatigue also prevents you from having the energy needed for physical activity. Even if you still manage to hit the gym, don’t expect excellent results from a sleep deprived body. Workouts are likely to be mediocre and without quality sleep, particularly “deep sleep,” growth hormones that are associated with weight management, building lean muscle mass, muscle repair, and immunity experience a decline in production.
Mental Clarity
I had a friend in college who pulled an all-nighter studying for his organic chemistry final to only fall asleep during the exam and not finish. It would have been far more advantageous to put the books away and get a good nights rest before the exam or better yet- prepare and avoid the cram session altogether. Needless, to say lack of sleep causes a decrease in one’s ability to focus, concentrate, and make rational decisions. One study found that “17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%.” This is equivalent to about 2 glasses of wine. The blood alcohol concentration for drivers is 0.08%. This means that sleep deprivation nearly leaves you legally drunk; better not get pulled over!
Immunity
Sleep gives our brain, neurons, and muscles a break. It allows us to unwind and recover from daily stressors and wake up energized and invigorated. If our bodies are not able to recover due to disrupted or lack of sleep than we are at risk of becoming sick as our bodies are not able to fight germs. Unfortunately, not everyone’s a morning person, but surprisingly we are designed to be. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, peaks in the morning. It aids in various physiological functions and helps supply energy for the day. Cortisol begins to drop as evening approaches allowing one to unwind and fall asleep. People who secrete more cortisol later in the day tend to have difficulty falling asleep and thus have disrupted sleep patterns leading to sleep deprivation and fatigue. An increase or prolonged levels of cortisol has been linked to various health issues.
Recently, a researcher at Stanford University discovered that “women with breast cancer whose cortisol cycle is disrupted with peak levels in the afternoon rather than dawn die earlier from the disease.” The same researcher also found that “night shift workers have a higher rate of breast cancer than women with normal sleep hours.”
Sleep Better
If you think you can make-up for 3-5 days of late nights by sleeping in on the weekends, think again. Once again, our bodies like consistency. You’re better off to stick to a sound sleep schedule receiving the correct amount of sleep your body needs on a daily basis- even on the weekends. Try to get up and go to bed at the same time as often as possible and aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Life demands don’t always make this easy; sometimes sleep is the sacrifice. Work, children, stress, etc. is bound to cause you to be awake long after Jay Leno is over, but a conscious effort to get some quality zzz’s will improve your health. Your body will thank you.
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