Could Sleep Be the Missing Link to Your Health Problems?

My tricky situation

I’m going to share some stuff with you today that I was dealing with last year. It was pretty scary thing to be living through and I know many of you were a little alarmed by my appearance on many occasions! My reason for doing this is to provide a first-hand example of how by trying to do things right, you can get it all wrong! Also, I want you to see how correcting just one thing in your life can make such a massive difference to your overall health and wellbeing.

Since my teens I’ve been a pretty “busy” person. Always doing lots and trying to achieve things to a high standard. I can be pretty focused and keep going when many would more sensibly stop. It’s a trait I learnt when I was child when I had lots of eczema all over me. To distract myself from the continual itching I learnt to block out this unpleasant sensation by keeping my mind so busy on other things that I could distract myself from the incessant itch.

This technique is exceptionally useful when you have a disc protrusion in your neck or are giving birth and want to block out pain. Well done me. However, it’s less helpful when you apply this same strategy to other unpleasant sensations like fatigue and sadness! Blocking out the body’s helpful signals something being wrong, can get you in a lot of trouble when done consistently for about 30 years.

My favourite Tony Robbins quote, “The purpose of pain is to move us to action, not to make us suffer”, is applicable to pretty much every person I speak to. Whether in the treatment room, studio, or in the school playground, I hear endless, yes ENDLESS stories, of people ignoring their body’s signals that something is wrong and needs to be addressed.

Tiredness and busy-ness are used like badges of honour these days. Which is so sad as we are making our lives harder and unhealthier by the day, living this way. I know this first hand. As my to do list got bigger, the stress increased. I stopped exercising as I didn’t have the (perceived) time. I stopped socialising to focus on work and Ev. I cooked quicker things for dinner and reached for snacks lots to keep energy levels up. My caffeine intake increased. I went to bed later as I worked long into every evening. I woke every day feeling so tired, it took the needs of a small child to get me up. I continually got ill. The cycle continued for years. Until I broke.

The Most Important Pillar of Health

So, during the years of stressful “living” (I think I’d rather call it “existing”), my body and mind were exhausted. I thought I slept well, but when properly under the microscope I was not doing it right at all!

FACT: Over 52% of women get too little sleep.

FACT: We spend 1/3 of our entire life asleep.

FACT: Every adult needs 7-9 hours of good quality sleep a night.

Sleep shouldn’t be hard, should it?

Isn’t it fascinating that there is endless research on how to be productive in our waking hours yet very little on sleep. Thankfully, science is catching up and thank god, because we are a race of sleep deprived people, getting an average of 2 hours a night less than we did in the 60’s.

Lack of Sleep the Facts

When your body doesn’t get enough sleep it causes the following problems….

o Weight changes

o Increased inflammation

o Decreased immunity – get ill more often

o Premature aging

o Diabetes

o Heart disease & stroke

o Memory loss

o Alzheimer’s

o Low mood and depression

o Fertility problems

I suggest you read this list again and start reflecting on if any of these relate to you, particularly regarding inflammation, weight, mood and immunity.

What makes sleep good quality?

You know how different you feel when you wake after a few drinks the night before? Well, this isn’t just because of the effect of alcohol on your liver. It’s also because alcohol affects the depth and quality of your sleep. Same goes for you falling asleep right after staring at your phone screen for half an hour. We’ve already mentioned the quantity you need (7-9 hours, depending on the person). Here is a list of what makes sleep good “quality”:

o You fall asleep within 30 minutes of less of getting into bed

o Normally you sleep straight through the night, waking no more than once

o You can sleep the recommended number of hours for your age group (8 hrs adults)

o If you wake up, you fall back asleep within 20 minutes

o You feel rested, restored, and energised on waking in the morning.

The Power of Sleep – The Facts

So many of us take sleep for granted. Until we can’t sleep. My hope is this article will help you realise the power of prioritising it. Once I finally paid attention to what my body was telling me, stopped pushing through and properly prioritised my rest and sleep, the health benefits were incredible. Science has proven them, so it’s pretty daft not to practice “good sleep”. Here’s a few key ones;

1. Immune system is boosted by good sleep, reducing illness, inflammation which is the corner stone of many modern-day illnesses. The body gets a chance to repair and recover during good quality sleep.

2. Weight regulation occurs because your hormone balance changes – you produce less hormone that stimulate hunger and more hormone that stimulates “fullness”. The more you sleep, the less you feel the urge to eat.

3. Type II diabetes is prevented, as proper sleep improves your ability to control your sugar levels

4. A happier mind is created, as sleep increases your energy, ability to focus and overall mood. Those with depression and anxiety report sleeping 6 hours, or less a night.

5. Healthier heart, because good sleep lowers your blood pressure and hear rate, reducing risk of heart disease and stroke.

Sleep: The Corner Stone of Good Health?

So, given all the research and my own personal experiences, sleep is likely the most pivotal pillar to your health and the most often neglected.

If you don’t sleep enough, your immune system lowers causing you to get ill more often. Your inflammation increases as the body hasn’t got proper time to recover overnight. You wake feeling exhausted and grumpy. Because of this you will more likely eat quick, high energy, processed foods for ease. Your mind will be more foggy, less able to concentrate and have impaired decision making. You don’t exercise because you feel you don’t have the energy. You will often reach for alcohol to relax which prevents good quality sleep. Your mood gets lower because of all the above.

The cycle continues.

Perhaps you can identify some of yourself in these behaviours. I truly believe that when you get better quality sleep, the improvement in decision making alone is a game changer!

What do you think?

The Lesson in The Madness

Damn my stubbornness to not give in for all those years! My decision making was “off” in so many areas of life because of lack of sleep!

In retrospect, I couldn’t be more grateful for all these things to have happened to me as they’ve given me so much insight into the lifestyle choices that get so many of us into an unhealthy state and trouble.

That’s why I created VIGOUR! Using my learning on what the key pillars to a truly healthy life are, I’ve created the ultimate Health Club for us at the HealthHub. There’s a mouthful!

Giving you a tailored approach not only to your movement and exercise but also providing you with the right, knowledge and help on the other pillars of health: sleep, nutrition, stress and rest.

If you struggle with catching enough Zs, or you wake up still feeling tired, we have a special FREE Discovery Visit with Abbie, just for you. During this visit you can, discuss your worries and concerns about your sleep, wellbeing and lifestyle, identify what needs addressing and what might be causing poor sleep or tiredness, and find out how we can help you improve your sleep and the other Pillars. Simply call on 01548 852355 or email [email protected] and request a Sleep Discovery Visit with Abbie. We’ve got you!

With love,

Vic xx

P.S. Don't forget to book your Free Discovery Visit and start improving your sleep now. Call 01548 852355 or email [email protected] and request a Sleep Discovery Visit with Abbie. You really don't have to live feeling exhausted all the time!