Sleep: Why's It's So Important & How to Fake It

Here at The Biggest Loser Resort we realize that getting a good night's rest is just as important as working up a sweat and burning calories. Sleep plays a vital role in your overall health and well-being. During slumber, your body is working to support healthy brain function and, following a workout, to heal and repair your muscle fibers. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help promote your quality of life.

Studies have shown that individuals who suffer from sleep deficiencies are at an increased risk of obesity. You may be asking yourself, "What is the correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain?" There are multiple factors that attribute to this theory. Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don't get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin increases and your level of leptin decreases. Thus, making you feel hungrier than when you're well-rested.

Sleep also affects how your body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) levels. Sleep deficiency results in a higher than normal blood sugar level, which may increase your risk for diabetes. Sleep also supports healthy growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens. This hormone also boosts muscle growth and repairs cells and tissues in children, teens and adults. Sleep also plays a role in puberty and fertility.

Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. It defends your body against foreign or harmful substances and an ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which your immune system responds. For example, if you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble fighting common infections or the common cold.

No matter how dedicated you are to getting in your ZZZ's, sometimes a less-than-stellar shut eye is inevitable. The good news, one bad night's sleep isn't going to hurt you! But it can make you feel sluggish the next day. Luckily, there are ways to help you wake up feeling refreshed after a rocky night's rest. Here are some tricks to wake up feeling energized:

Open Your Shades

A big dose of sunshine is the first thing you'll want to try. Natural light resets your body clock, helping you function better all day. Even the low light on a cloudy or rainy day wakes you up better than an indoor bulb. Early-morning sunlight is best for helping you start the day feeling rejuvenated. To perk you up fast, open your shades as soon as you get up.

Grab the Right Eats

When we become tired, our instinct is to reach for sugary foods for a quick rush of energy. But what we might not realize is those foods make your blood sugar spike and CRASH, setting off a roller coaster of energy highs and lows. For lasting energy, start your day with healthy protein and whole-grain carbs. Try a whole-wheat English muffin with peanut butter and a sliced banana.

Drink Your Coffee Slowly (***If you have to have it!)

No need to gulp down your morning brew: Pour it into a thermos (that holds in the heat) and sip slowly enough to make it last most of the workday. According to a study in the journal Sleep, people who consumed the caffeine equivalent of just 2 ounces of coffee per hour still got a 'kick'. Just cut off the java by 3:00pm, or you may have trouble falling asleep that night.

Take a Walk

Studies have shown that the sleep-deprived drag the most is in the afternoon between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. If you find yourself fading during the afternoon workday, try stepping out for a 10-minute walk. Movement boosts core temperature and stimulates the heart, brain and muscles, helping to prevent a slump. Even pacing around the office will help kick your body back into gear.

Stay Hydrated

Sleep deprivation can mildly dehydrate you and dehydration actually compounds fatigue. So sipping water will help lessen sleepiness. Drink enough so you're not thirsty and you have clear-ish urine. Another trick is to throw in a few ice cubes. Unlike warm drinks, which tend to relax you, cold water can increase alertness because they are more refreshing!

Go To Bed at Your Normal Bedtime

As tempting as it is to crash at 8:00pm after a long stressful day, or following a bad night's sleep, you'll feel more refreshed if you hit the sack close to your usual bedtime. Our bodies have a natural rhythm of sleep and wake. You'll get the most restorative sleep if you stick to that pattern. Instead of hitting the sack, or lying around on the couch after dinner, go to bed no earlier than an hour before your normal bedtime and wake up no later than an hour past your normal wake time to catch up on lost sleep without overdoing it. Getting in too much sleep can actually have adverse affects and make you feel more tired!