The fact that it’s almost August is causing me to freak out! My team and I are filming the videos for 9 Week Control Freak and time just keeps on flying by! It’s almost SCHOOL season! 

Alright, I’ll stop there because I don’t want to freak you out too. 

Let’s move on to something better… I want to share with you something that I believe to be SUPER critical to your overall fitness, health, nutrition, and well-being.

Without this one key thing, dialing in your nutrition and getting your workout in becomes a million times harder! 

So here we go…

I’m a busy woman (no shock there, right?!), I wear a lot of different hats throughout the day such as mom, entrepreneur, fitness expert, competitor, housekeeper, taxi driver, cook, daughter, sister, friend….you get the picture. 

I’m busy. 

Every one of my jobs requires me to be at my best. 

If I’m tired or worn out that’s not going to happen. Obviously, my job requires me to be in peak performance. I’m constantly working to improve my physique, challenge myself, and build new lean muscle. You would think with how much I work out and how well I eat this would be a no-brainer. 

Here’s the thing…yes, you do have to work out and eat well to have a great physique and perform at optimum levels but the real magic happens when you sleep. Yep, you read that right! That beautiful body that you are working so hard to achieve is really built IN YOUR SLEEP!

There are key things that happen in your body when you are sleeping that impact your physical and mental performance. It is during sleep that your body repairs, recovers from exercise, and grows new muscle tissue. Sleep replenishes critical neurotransmitters including dopamine, adrenalin, noradrenalin, acetylcholine, and more. These chemicals are responsible for focus, attention, motivation, overall energy, and muscle contraction. If you overwork your body it will not change. I cannot stress this enough, that in order to get the results you want, you have to give yourself enough sleep and take those rest days. 

This does not mean you are lazy or unmotivated, it means you care about your body and want to see optimal results. Rest days should be part of your training.

 

It is crucial to get sleep to see the results that you want. Being tired will not only hinder your performance in the gym and in daily life, but it will leave you crabby, craving sugar, and feeling hungry more often. That’s because your body is looking for energy. Lack of sleep will also gradually lower your immune system. In the end, it’s not about what you look like on the outside, it’s about how healthy you are on the inside. Sleep deprivation will only result in bad bad things, like destroying your health and muscle wasting. Yes, you heard me right: Muscle wasting.

 

You are not doing all that work and sweating in the gym, only to have it wasted by not finding the time to take care of yourself! In the end, the motto is “Work hard, but remember to rest harder!!” So do us both a favor, make a date with your bed tonight and totally sleep together…for at least 8 hours.

You can do that right? 😉

 

Now, before I sign off and let you get your beauty sleep, I want to share 3 quick tips that will help you drift off to sleep faster and get a better QUALITY of sleep. 

 

1. Turn off electronics an hour before bedtime. Start improving your sleep by slowing down brain stimulation at the end of the night. The light from your phone mimics the sun, confusing your brain making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Let Instagram and email wait until tomorrow. Give your brain the time away from electronics that it needs, so you can drift off to sleep faster and stay asleep longer. 

2. Develop a bedtime routine. There’s a reason why we create bedtime routines for our kids. It helps prepare their mind and body for sleep. We need the same. So take time to relax, read, listen to soft music, or soak in the tub. This will signal to your brain that it’s almost time for bed, and it can begin the “winding down” process and eliminate restlessness. 

3. Avoid eating large meals late at night. Having to digest a big meal can keep you awake. It takes a lot of energy to break down, digest, and process a huge meal. So do your best to finish dinner a few hours before it’s time for sleep. 

Try these tips out, be patient, and you will see for yourself just how more your results are enhanced. 

Your Partner In Health, 

Autumn