By Coach Shawn
The second law of fat loss is proper sleep.
What is proper sleep?
Seven to eight hours every night
What is achieved by sleeping seven to eight hours a night?
Your body repairs itself while it’s sleeping. This includes all 11 systems in the body. By allowing them to repair, your body will function at maximum performance the following day in every aspect.
What if I don’t get seven to eight hours of sleep a night?
- Your body will degrade.
- Your Circulatory system will suffer, causing blood and oxygen to improperly flow. Your digestive system will become a irregular.
- Your hormones will become unbalanced.
- Your immune system will be compromised.
- Your muscles won’t be fully recovered.
- All this to say your mind, body, emotions and soul will all suffer.
It will be nearly impossible to lose fat if that’s your goal.
And all those negative factors will lead to weight and body fat gain.
Do I need continuous uninterrupted seven to eight hours of sleep?
No.
If you can achieve seven to eight hours continuously that is ideal and the gold standard.
If you wake up to use the bathroom, that’s fine.
There are many complexities to sleep, but the most important aspect is that you achieve seven to eight hours a night to allow your body to repair.
What if I can’t fall asleep?
If you are consistent in your nutrition, exercise and hydration, your body will be ready to sleep at night.
If you have extra energy, you did not expend during your exercise and activity throughout the day this can be a cause of an initial struggle of falling asleep.
Also, if you use any sort of stimulant at night or on an electronic device and have your mind focusing on negative things, you can struggle to fall asleep.
The key is to Identify the problem you were having and eliminate it.
If you drink caffeine within 12 hours of sleeping, you need to stop.
If you are on an electronic device at night, limit that to a specific time.
If your mind is on negative things, overwhelmed, anxious, you need to find the best outlet for you and create a process to release them.
[examples: whether that be write, meditate, social media cleanse, no more emails or phone past 6pm, seek the help of a therapist]
Does sex count as physical activity?
Yes. If you and your spouse/partner have sex, before bed, you’ll find it easier to fall asleep after. The elevated heart rate, muscle activity and cardiovascular exercise is the perfect combination for expended energy to properly fall asleep.
Is it OK to use melatonin to fall asleep?
You should not need melatonin or rely on any form of sleep aid to fall asleep at night. If you find yourself in certain situations or new environments, maybe you are traveling or something like melatonin is fine. Temporary use.
But if there is a reliance on melatonin daily, it means you are not eliminating the base problem as to why you cannot fall asleep without it.
Is it OK to use sleep medication to fall asleep?
No.
By taking sleep medication, you are altering and causing damage to your body’s natural ability, and means of falling asleep.
Once the damage to your body occurs, this will cause a dependency on this drug. This goes for other drugs as well including marijuana.
Do not use drugs to fall asleep, you will cause damage.
What if I feel great with less than seven to eight hours of sleep?
Everyone is different. Seven to eight hours a night for the overwhelming majority is what is needed. If you find yourself in the rare category of feeling great and fully repaired, even at 6 hours, still try to go for seven to eight hours.
Do not just go for the bare minimum when it comes to sleep, go for the maximum you can.
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Source:
Catechism For Fat Loss, By Cody Nickson
