Hey FitFAM!
Firstly, if you are sleep deprived your cortisol levels rise, blood pressure rises and you can gain weight as sleep deprivation can also activate a hunger hormone called Ghrelin which increases cravings!
Some things that can affect your sleep in a negative way might be:
- Eating late at night
- Caffeine after 2pm
- Doing brain stimulating work before bed
- Surfing the net late at night
- Having electronics near your bed
- Watching the news before bed (i know this stresses me out)
It may feel like you’re winding down, but it’s really hard for your brain to shut down ready for a deep sleep if its being overstimulated before bed.
Here’s a TIP on how to get better sleep: Create a Power Down Hour for yourself
Download: Power Down HourIf you know you need 7 hours sleep, and have to wake up at 6am, you might start your power down hour at 10pm to make sure you are in bed by 11pm.
Your power down hour might include a small routine like:
- Washing your face & doing your evening skin routine
- Brushing your teeth
- Write down 3 things that happened today, or that you are grateful for
- Keep a diary, if writing things down helps get the ‘stuff’ out of your head
- Read your book for 20-30 minutes
Checkout the attachment for more tips on how to get better sleep!
Night night xx