A Good Night’s Sleep

Before the invention of the light bulb, the average American got 10 hours of sleep per night. Now days, the average American gets by with just 6.9 hours of much needed sleep on a nightly basis. Truth be told, a third of adults are getting even less than that! Nearly half of all adults admit that they sleep less so they can get more done during their waking hours. We all know that the average adult needs eight hours of sleep per night, but most of us burn the candle at both ends and get much less, myself included. What does sleep have to do with personal training in Sandy Utah? Stay tuned.

The solution to the problem of sleep deficiency is a no brainer: get more sleep! But it’s one thing to say and a whole other thing to do! The reasons we Americans are sleeping less on average than we used to are many. Some people spend countless frustrating hours tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Others feel that there is just too much that needs to be done and not enough time to do it. As a result, they are up early and don’t get to bed until late at night, trying to conquer the “to do list”. Which we all know, can’t be done. As soon as you think you have gotten everything checked off, a whole new list materializes!

Healthy and plentiful sleep is just as important to your overall health as exercise and good nutrition. Researchers have shown that a lack of deep sleep compromises your body’s ability to ward off disease, reduces the quality and quantity of your work by a third and you’re more likely to have a higher concentration of sugar in your blood, which can actually be a contributing factor in the development of  a pre-diabetic condition.

If you’re having major problems catching some Z’s, you should talk with your doctor, but for the rest of us who have minimal trouble sleeping, there is a very simple cure: exercise! Working out on a regular basis has been shown in multiple studies to reduce episodes of insomnia. In addition, exercise and personal training in Sandy Utah also promotes improved sleep quality by producing smoother and more regular transitions between the cycles and phases of sleep. Cool huh? What more reason do you need to get personal training in Sandy Utah from yours truly?

Moderate exercise lasting anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, three to  five times a week will generally result in better sleep and more energy. A lot of people, maybe yourself included, want to know when the best time of day to exercise is. While it is true that some people can exercise any time throughout the day, others find that they have an easier time getting to sleep as well as being able to sleep better if they work out in the morning or the early afternoon and not close to bedtime. That being said, vigorous exercise during the day and then a mild bout of exercise before bed will help you fall asleep and stay asleep easier, and increase the amount of time you spend in the deepest phase of sleep. A good example is to do your workout at the gym or your personal training in Sandy Utah during the day and then before bed, warm up by doing some squats or going up and down the stairs until you can feel that you’ve got your blood  pumping and your muscles warmed up, followed by some static stretching.

In a study conducted at Stanford University School of Medicine on the sleep patterns of sedentary adults ages 55 to 75 who were suffering from insomnia, researchers were able to show that exercise plays a key role. the participants were asked  to exercise 20 to 30 minutes every other day in the afternoon either by walking, taking part in low-impact aerobics, or riding a stationary bike. The result was that the time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and total sleep time was increased by almost a full hour! Awesome!

If that’s not enough to convince you to get some shut eye, there are many other mental health benefits that come from getting enough beauty rest. Sleep also:

• Reduces stress by helping to dissipate  lactic acid that accumulates in your blood
• Increases the amount of oxygen available and sharpens your mind
• Eases built-up muscular tension
• Strengthens  your heart and lungs
• Stimulates your nervous system
• Stimulates the release of epinephrine (that’s the hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement)

Overall health is about making sure that every aspect of your life is in balance. Exercise, good nutrition, proper hydration, and getting plenty of sleep all fit into the equation! Personally, after a long day of teaching aerobics classes, training clients, taking care of the kids, helping with homework, cooking dinner, doing the laundry, paying the bills and all the other “to do’s” on my list, there’s nothing better than finally laying down in bed to get a good night’s sleep!