Sleep is often hugely overlooked as a tool for keeping us ‘well’ - physically and mentally.
One of the first things to consider when lacking sufficient sleep is hormone imbalance. Enough so that sleep deprivation can severely increase your hunger hormone ‘Ghrelin’ whilst suppressing your hunger control hormone ‘Leptin.’
When these two are off-balance your hunger signalling will be higher and your cravings heightened which means you’re much more likely to be reaching for those ‘mood boosting’ sweet, salty or starchy foods.
When your sleep is insufficient your immune system is comprised which means that you’re 3x more likely to get sick. Research has shown that a lack of sleep can have a huge impact on heart health too meaning that adequate sleep can reduce the risk of such things as coronary heart disease.
Research suggests that 6-8 hours per night of routine sleep is the key - which means trying to build a consistent sleeping pattern. Following a similar bedtime routine, avoiding overstimulation too close to bedtime and cutting caffeine off at a reasonable hour won’t just help you to get off to sleep but it’ll all help build towards a better quality of sleep which over time will have a huge impact on your performance and your health.
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