SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP - MORE ENERGY BETTER HEALTH FASTER RESULTS WWW.GOFITNESSCENTER.COM - GO FITNESS CENTER
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Supercharge
Your Sleep
MORE ENERGY
BETTER HEALTH
FASTER RESULTS
www.GoFitnessCenter.com
SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP
CONTENTS
3
Why Your Sleep Matters
Here's why sleep has been called
the newest status symbol.
4
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Learn about the phases of sleep
and how they help your body
recover and reenergize.
6
Sleep and Your Health
A quick overview of how not
getting enough shuteye puts your
body at risk.
7
How Your Sleeping Position
Affects You
Do you sleep on your back? Your
side? Here's what you need to
know.
8
17 Tips to Supercharge Your
Sleep
Boost your quality sleep time
with these easy lifestyle tips.
13 12
Rediscover Your Energy! Your Body on Sleep: AMAZING!
Check out these benefits of a
Learn how we can help you feel ready to
well-rested body.
take on the world!
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 2
WHY YOUR
SLEEP
MATTERS
Sleep has been called the All sorts of things can lead This guide will outline why
new “status symbol” for to sleepless nights: stress, it’s important to make
good reason – it’s critically work demands, and life sleep a priority, how to get
important to your health. events like having a baby. more of it, and show you
ways to optimize your
And for some of us, sleep is Sometimes underlying sleeping time for improved
in short supply. health issues can also make health, energy, focus, and
it hard to get enough performance.
Whether by choice or quality sleep.
chance, many of us don’t It's amazing how great you
get nearly enough shuteye, The problem is, not getting feel when your body is well-
and we try to push through
enough sleep can affect rested and energized for a
during the day despite
your mood, your weight, new day!
feeling exhausted.
your workouts and even
your health down to the
As many as 35 percent of us
cellular level!
use smartwatches and
smartphones to track our
sleep habits (according to a The quality of your sleep
study by Verizon). also can have a powerful
impact on your hormones
Although sometimes and blood pressure... and
feeling tired is a fact of life, the way you sleep can even
if it's a regular occurrence it affect how your body
can wreak havoc on your moves and feels..
body.
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HOW MUCH SLEEP
DO YOU REALLY
NEED?
The need for sleep varies from
person to person – based on activity
level, genetics, and lifestyle – but
there are some general guidelines
about how much shuteye we need
based on our age.
Studies show people who regularly
sleep more than 7 hours a night are
generally healthier and live longer.
On the flip side, sleeping LESS than
7 hours a night is associated with a
host of problems from impaired
immune function and heart disease
to depression and obesity.
The most important indicator of
your sleep is how you feel: if you’re
tired or drowsy, you likely need more
sleep in your life!
THE STAGES OF SLEEP
Disrupted sleep also can impact
Sleep is now categorized into two basic types:
how you feel. Your body cycles
through 4 phases of sleep each non-REM (rapid eye movement) and REM.
night, each of which plays an Your body cycles through these phases about
important role in how your body every 90 minutes, with an estimated 75
functions. percent of its time each night in non-REM
sleep and 25 percent in REM.
While it might seem that "sleeping
N1 (formerly called stage 1):
away" a third of your time each day
is unproductive, it actually helps This is the bridge between being awake and
make the remaining two-thirds of
sleeping. This stage lasts only a few minutes
your day even more productive.
and during it, your breathing and heart rate
slow and your muscles relax.
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N2 (formerly stage 2):
This is the stage of sleep
In this stage, you relax where your body repairs
even more and your body and restores your THE PHASES
temperature drops. This is muscles and tissues,
one reason it's important boosts immune function, OF SLEEP
to sleep in a cool room releases growth
whenever possible, so hormone, and re-
your body can easily lower energizes itself for the During REM, your brain
its temp as it enters sleep coming day. becomes more active
cycles. while your muscles relax
REM (formerly stage 5):
even further. Your eyes
N3 (formerly stages 3 & 4):
Your body enters its first move rapidly, your heart
This is deep sleep, when REM cycle about 90 rate goes up, your blood
your body goes into minutes after you fall pressure rises, and your
recovery mode. This is the asleep. breathing speeds up.
hardest phase to wake
up from. If you’ve ever On a regular night, most If you think of N3 (deep
awakened from a midday of us have 5 or 6 REM sleep) as your body’s
nap and felt confused cycles, with each REM recovery time, REM sleep
about what day or time it cycle lasting longer as the is when your brain
was, it was because you night goes on. recovers, because it's when
had slipped into deep it processes information
sleep. This is when most gathered during your day.
dreaming happens ––
During this phase, your which is why we often As you can imagine, this
heart rate and breathing wake up in the middle of activity makes REM sleep
slow to their lowest levels, a dream when the alarm hugely important for
and your brain waves also clock goes off in the learning and memory.
slow down. morning.
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SLEEP AND YOUR
HEALTH
People who don’t get lead to higher blood when you’re tired, you feel
enough sleep are at higher pressure during the day hungrier and eat more?
risk for heart disease, and a greater chance of
diabetes, weight gain and cardiovascular problems... That’s your hormones at
obesity, depression and even in younger people. work. Brain imaging studies
anxiety, and even certain hint that when you don’t
kinds of cancer. In fact, one study showed get enough sleep, your
that teens who didn't sleep brain responds differently
Researchers are still well had higher cholesterol to unhealthy foods, which
investigating the links and blood pressure levels as makes you more likely to
between sleep and disease. well as a higher body mass eat them.
index.
For instance, people who Plus, not sleeping enough
have sleep apnea – which Sleep and Your Weight lowers causes some other
causes them to wake up Sleep and obesity have a metabolic issues, including
many times at night complicated relationship. how your body regulates
because of breathing blood sugar levels.
problems – are especially at- When you don’t get enough
risk for heart problems. sleep, it can disrupt One study found that after
the release of hormones like 6 nights of sleeping only 4
Scientists believe that ghrelin (which makes you hours, subjects lost 40
without getting enough hungry) and leptin (which percent of their ability to
deep sleep, the body never tells you you’re full). break down glucose – a key
fully lowers its heart rate or factor in weight gain and
blood pressure, which can Have you ever noticed developing diabetes.
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 6
Did you know that some sleeping positions can
give you backaches, headaches, premature
HOW YOUR
wrinkles, and even impact your squats? It’s true!
If you decide to try to switch up your sleeping SLEEPING
position, be patient. The best bet, according to
experts, is start out each night in your desired
POSITION
sleeping position and over time it will seem more
more natural.
AFFECTS YOU
Here’s a roundup of basic sleeping positions from
the National Sleep Foundation:
Fetal position
On your side
Most popular position, at 41 percent.
Good position for people who snore as Top choice of 15 percent.
it keeps airways open. Can decrease acid reflux and stop back
Studies hint this position helps your and neck pain.
brain do a better job of clearing waste Helps prevent snoring and sleep apnea.
that can lead to neurological diseases If you're a side sleeper and your knees
(Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s). cave in while doing squats, you might
Curling up too tightly can restrict your have tight muscles because of how your
breathing and leave you feeling stiff legs are positioned all night, according to
and sore. the NASM.
Try to extend your body and place a Try sleeping with a pillow between your
pillow between your knees. knees.
Sleeping with your face smushed into a
pillow all night can cause wrinkles.
On your back
8 percent sleep on their backs. On your stomach
Best for preventing aches and pains as Go-to pick for 7 percent of us.
body rests in a neutral position. It’s good for stopping snoring.
Unless your head is elevated and It’s bad for just about everything else.
supported by pillows, you can Puts excess pressure on your muscles
experience snoring, sleep apnea, and and joints.
acid reflux. Sleeping with your head sideways can
make it hard to keep your airway open
plus cause neck pain.
Try sleeping with a pillow under your
forehead so your breathing is
unobstructed.
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 7
17 TIPS TO SUPERCHARGE
STAY AWAY FROM CAFFEINE,
01 ALCOHOL, AND OTHER DRUGS
Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can YOUR SLEEP
drastically affect the quality of your
sleep. (Not to mention they can also
increase anxiety and stress.) DRINK (WATER) IN
03 MODERATION
Try to avoid anything containing Try not to down a huge glass of water
caffeine for at least 4-6 hours before shortly before bed, because chances
bed. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, are you’ll have to get up at least once
soda, chocolate, some pain relievers, in the night to go to the bathroom.
and even drinks like kombucha. Check
your labels to be sure.
WORK OUT EARLIER IN THE DAY
While at first alcohol might make you 04
While regular exercise will help you
feel tired, a few hours later you could
sleep better, working out too close to
experience a rebound effect, leaving
you tossing and turning at night. Try bedtime can make it harder to fall
not to drink for at least 4 hours before asleep. That’s because your body
you go to bed. secretes the stress hormone cortisol to
help power you through your workout.
You know all about the health hazards
of smoking, but did you know that Whenever possible, try to finish up
nicotine is a stimulant? It can rev you your workout at least three hours
up, making it hard to go to sleep. before bed.
AVOID EATING BEFORE BED
02
SET A REGULAR BEDTIME
Try to finish your last meal of the day 05
several hours before bedtime, and This helps set your body’s internal
steer clear of foods that cause you clock to have normal waking/sleeping
indigestion. times.
If you get hungry at night, snack on Do your best to stick with this bedtime
lighter foods that you know won't every night (even weekends). This will
disturb your sleep. Since we all have keep you on track during the week
different digestive triggers, this list of and avoid that overtired Monday
foods will be individual to you. morning feeling!
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 8
CREATE A NIGHTTIME ROUTINE WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE TIRED
06 08
Our bodies love to get on a schedule.
Forcing yourself to sleep before you
Creating a routine that you follow
feel physically tired can lead to
every night will help set up cues that frustration and stress, which makes it
it’s time to go to bed, signaling your even harder to fall asleep.
body that it’s time to wind down.
If you’re still feeling wide awake after
Read, take a relaxing warm (not too being in bed for 20 minutes, get up
hot or cold) shower or bath, meditate / and do something restful (like read)
pray, and enjoy relaxing time with until you’re sleepy.
your family – and avoid anything that
makes you stressed!
AVOID SCREEN TIME
07
Screens (phone, TV, tablet, computer)
emit blue light, which can delay the
release of melatonin, your body's
sleep-inducing hormone. Try not to
spend much time with your eyes
focused on them before bedtime.
If screen time is a must, you can
download a blue-light-blocking app or
use glasses that block blue light.
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 9
SET THE STAGE BYE BYE, CLOCK!
09 12
Make sure your bedroom is inviting: it Place your bedside clock where you
should be cool (between 60 and 67 can’t see it.
degrees), dark, and quiet.
This is for two reasons: the light it
Some people find that white noise – emits can keep you awake and if you
either a fan, sound machine, or phone are having a hard time sleeping,
app – helps them sleep. seeing it tick away the time also can
make you feel stressed.
Eliminate anything that could be
stressful or wake you up. If your pet
keeps you up at night, consider having
them sleep in another room. SOAK UP THE SUN
13
Natural sunlight during the day is a
It also can help to clear your bedroom
must whenever possible, to help
of clutter.
reinforce your body’s circadian
rhythms.
Is your mattress comfortable? They
need replacing every 10 years or so.
Try to get some sunlight as early in the
How about your pillow(s) and
morning as you can, and if you work
blankets? Is it time to upgrade?
during the day try to sneak out at
lunchtime to soak in some rays.
DIM THE LIGHTS
10
A few hours before bed, turn down the
lights to avoid stimulating your body’s SAY NO TO LATE NAPS
14
“awake” response.
Midday power naps (avoiding the deep
sleep phase!) can be a great way to
JOURNAL
11 recharge.
Some people find that writing about the
day's wins and worries helps them But if you enjoy naps, make sure you
destress, while others keep a journal of take it earlier in the afternoon vs. later.
the things for which they are grateful.
Napping too late in the day can reduce
Others find that writing a list of to-do's your body’s drive for sleep and make it
for the next day helps them relax. more challenging to fall asleep when
Experiment! bedtime rolls around.
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 10SLEEP-BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTS
15
Calming herbal teas containing
chamomile can help you wind down
before bed – just make sure they aren't
too hot, as your body likes to be cool
when it sleeps.
If you absolutely can’t get to sleep on
a regular basis, ask your doc or
pharmacist about taking supplements
such as magnesium or melatonin,
which help some people get to sleep.
KEEP AT IT
16
If your body's sleep cycles have been
off for a while, it might take a while to
see major improvements.
Try to be patient – stress is the enemy
of sleep!
ASK YOUR DOC
17
If you still are having problems falling
asleep or staying asleep – or you feel
tired during the day even though you
thought you slept – it's worth checking
with your doctor.
Sometimes health conditions such as
restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea
can interfere with sleep. And if you've
ever had a job with shift work, you
could have a circadian rhythm
dysfunction.
www.GoFitnessCenter.comYOUR BODY ON SLEEP:
AMAZING!
Getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep every
night makes a HUGE difference in how
you move, feel, and live!
CHECK OUT THESE BENEFITS:
You wake up feeling energized, with
fewer aches and pains.
Your immune system gets a boost,
helping you fight off colds and illness.
You have lower risk of developing
serious conditions such as diabetes and
heart disease.
Your skin will have fewer breakouts.
Researchers believe this has to do with
the regulation of hormones in your
body.
Your eyes are clearer and your overall
skin condition improves, looking
smoother and less wrinkled, because
your body has adequate repair and
recovery time.
You have fewer cravings. When you are
well-rested, your body has better control
over your hunger hormones (leptin and
ghrelin).
Your focus and memory improve,
boosting your performance and
reducing your risk of getting injured.
You’re happier! Research shows that
when you get enough sleep, your mood
improves and stress levels drop.
www.GoFitnessCenter.com SUPERCHARGE YOUR SLEEP / 12You can also read
