It seems like these days it’s almost common for people to brag about how little sleep they get. Or almost a contest, “Oh yeah, I only sleep about 4-5 hours a night and I’m perfectly fine!”, “Yeah I function great off just a few hours.” But really, those people are probably just lying to themselves and are most likely suffering from several of the impacts listed in the graphic above! And in addition, a whole host of other disorders, like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, low sex drive, and weight gain or trouble losing weight.
Plus, science tells us it’s just not true! You NEED adequate sleep, meaning >6 hours, to regulate a number of processes in your body, including but not limited to, “memory consolidation, organ recovery, neurogenesis, brain development, and muscle recovery and growth.” (3) All of those things are pretty dang important!
So if you’re struggling in the gym as of late and can’t figure out why, maybe you need to ask yourself how you’re sleeping!
There’s lots we can do and control to help us sleep better, like going to bed around the same time, turning off the screens (TV, phone, tablet) 30 minutes prior to bedtime, having a dark room, etc. But one big supporter of proper sleep that you don’t have control over is melatonin!! “Melatonin regulates all aspects of human physiology, especially sleep/wake cycles, energy, hormone release, brain growth, muscle growth, and body fat.” (1) “Recent research shows that disrupting the melatonin rhythm simply by restricting sleep to 6 hours a night, impairs learning, memory, glucose metabolism, immune function, appetite regulation, and athletic training.” (1)
We also know from research that low melatonin allows for a rise in the hormone cortisol, which means a decrease in growth hormones and testosterone; “these imbalances set us up for muscle loss and fat gain that cannot be corrected by diet or training.” (1) Plus, our natural production of melatonin declines with age .
If you feel you have trouble sleeping, possibly trouble falling or staying asleep, and that your performance in the gym is not where you want it to be or slipping, supporting proper sleep habits with a melatonin supplement could be the answer! Melatonin pills are often ineffective as as much as 90% of the melatonin is not absorbed during digestion. Enter our very favorite Melatonin Sleep Spray!
Isagenix to the rescue!! Sleep Support & Renewal was developed to “effectively deliver the right forms of melatonin directly into the mouth. For the average athlete, 3 mg, or three sprays, at bedtime, reliably raises melatonin levels, which benefits the whole 24-hour circadian rhythm, yields better sleep, and improves athletic performance.” (1) Don’t take our word for it, talk to Coach Brandon about why he uses it every night or ask Coach Michelle how you can get your own (for less than $13!).
Cheers to sleeping better and better performance in and out of the gym!!
Articles referenced:
