The Science of Sleep: How Rest Helps You Stay Active and Mindful
It can be tempting, despite the fact that there are only 24 hours in each day, to make use of every waking hour to get more done. You may feel unmotivated and tired after a night with minimal or no sleep.
If you’re used to getting good sleep, these side effects will be obvious. However, if you have a chronic under-sleep pattern, they may not be as obvious. You may feel that you are getting more done if you shortchange your sleep. But is this really the case? It’s crucial to recognize the benefits of sleep in a #teamnosleep culture that encourages achievement.
What is Mindfulness?
The definition of mindfulness is a state of mind achieved by focusing on the present while accepting and acknowledging one’s thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. It is a health to use mindfulness as a therapy technique for reducing stress and anxiety.
It is important to stay focused in the moment, even when you are tempted to let your mind wander or ruminate about past or future events. Mindfulness helps reduce stress, and allows you to concentrate on the task. This is a skill that can be used to increase productivity both in and out of the gym.
Think about what happens if you are working out with low sleep or a reduced ability to concentrate. You may lose track of your reps or even forget about proper form when lifting weights. Being mindful will help you to get the most from your workouts, reduce your risk of injury and improve your overall performance.
You can boost your nutrition by being mindful. Mindful eating is effective at reducing unhealthy eating habits like emotional eating and binge-eating, as well as improving diet quality with time (The nutrition Source 2020).
Do you want to learn how to make mindfulness a part of your professional life? Check out the NASM Certified Wellness Coach Course and everything it offers.
BRINGING SLEEP & MINDFULNESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
How are sleep and mindfulness connected? Answer: There are two parts to the answer.
Sleeping enough can make you more aware. Sleep studies show that sleep deprivation affects cognitive function, lowering working memory and attention span (Alhola & Polo-Kantola 2007, 2007). It means that your ability to focus on the task decreases when you sleep less.
Sleep can be improved by mindfulness. It has been proven that mindfulness practices improve sleep efficiency and total sleep time (Shallcross, et. al. 2019).
BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY SLEEEP
Here are three of the many benefits of a healthy sleep that you will want to concentrate on:
Sleep lowers stress levels. According to the American Psychology Association (2013), the quality and quantity of sleep you get can affect your stress perception. According to a study conducted by the APA on adults, those who slept more (7.1 hours) reported less stress than those who slept fewer (6.2 hours).
Sleep improves memory and removes metabolic wastes from the brain. Deep sleep allows the brain to repair and restore brain functions and remove protein build-up. Memory consolidation, or the process by which newly acquired information is converted into long-term memory, also requires sleep.
Sleep makes it more likely that you will stick to your workout program. Lack of sleep can affect your motivation and energy levels, making it difficult to follow through with your exercise plan. In a study from 2014, participants with sleep deficits also showed lower levels of physical exercise (Kline 2014).
How to Practice Healthy Sleep
What constitutes healthy sleep? Healthy sleep has 4 essential elements that are vital for brain health and well-being.
Depth: Entering into all REM and NREM stages (aka, getting enough deep sleep).
Duration: According the National Sleep Foundation adults aged over 18 require an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Older adults need between seven and eight hours (Suni 2022).
Continuity: Continuous, uninterrupted sleep.
Regularity: Consistently maintain a wake-up time and a rise-up time during the week.
Sleep hygiene is a set of behaviors that you can adopt at night to promote restorative sleep. You may not have the ability to control your sleep’s depth or duration, but it will help improve these two important aspects of sleep. Sleep hygiene is an evening routine that includes a series of actions to encourage restorative sleep.
The quality of your sleep can be determined by how you feel throughout the day. Do you feel tired throughout the day? Do you need caffeine to function properly? Do you have the ability to concentrate on your job? Lack of motivation or energy to exercise is a sign that you may benefit from these sleep hygiene tips. These are all signs that you could benefit from these tips on sleep hygiene!
You can improve your sleep by doing the following:
Avoid screens one hour before going to bed. This will help you to maintain your circadian rhythm.
Relax before going to bed by reading, listening to music, or taking a relaxing bath.
Keep a consistent schedule for sleep and wake-up times. You can regulate your sleep schedule by waking up at the same time every day. Set an alarm for the same time each day, including weekends.
Do not use your bed to study, work or watch TV. You can train your brain by doing your work, studying or watching TV in another room.
Limit caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Caffeine’s half-life is 5 hours for most people. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime. Alcohol and nicotine can also interfere with sleep. Avoid them before bedtime.
Every day, move. It has been proven that physical activity can improve sleep and make you fall asleep quicker.
Manage stress. Manage stress.
When making changes to your sleeping schedule, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Stick with it. It will take time to see the results. Start with one or two strategies and stick to them for at least 2 weeks. You can adjust your routine until you find one that suits you.
SUMMARY
Sleep and physical activity are closely related to mindfulness. A good night’s sleep will improve your ability to be physically active, mindful and productive. Sleep routines that are adapted to fit your lifestyle can have a significant impact on not only your health but also your ability to sleep.
The NASM Certified Well-Being Coach Course offers fitness professionals a deeper understanding of the science behind sleep and strategies to help clients improve their sleep in order to achieve better health and fitness.
