The importance of getting enough sleep for your fitness program

It's important for people starting a workout routine to get enough sleep because it helps their muscles recover and gives them energy. A good night's sleep is essential for your body and mind. Generally, it's recommended that you sleep eight hours a day, but sometimes I feel rested after six, so it may vary from person to person. If you don't get enough sleep every night, then chances are you will feel exhausted during your workouts which can lead to feeling sore or, even worse, getting injured.

If you feel tired when you work out, that means your body is not giving it 100% because it needs rest. This will also hurt your fitness progress because you won't be able to work out as intensely when your body is tired.

Why getting enough sleep is essential for your fitness progress

Sleep is a crucial factor for improvement of your health and performance in sports. To understand how sleep can help you with your workouts we need to look at the physiology behind it. There are mainly two types of sleep: Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM).

NREM - Non-Rapid Eye Movement

Deep sleep takes up about 75% of the cycle. It lasts for about 90 minutes. In this sleep stage your body relaxes and restores itself from a day full of stress, work and physical activity. Your body can make your heart beat slower, lower your blood pressure and even change the temperature in certain places. In this stage the pituitary gland releases growth hormones that help to heal wounds and strengthen bones, muscles and tendons.

REM - Rapid Eye Movement

This sleep stage accounts for about 25% and occurs immediately after the NREM phase. It is a very light sleep and dreaming takes place, where your eyes move rapidly behind closed lids and you will wake up if somebody tries to wake you up during this stage. You breathe quickly and unevenly and your heart beats fast. If you don't get enough of this stage of sleep, it can cause psychological problems and make you feel tired. A person deprived of this sleep stage will also suffer from mood disorders, loss of ability to concentrate, and short-term memory problems.

Interestingly enough, the more you train during the day - the more likely you are to spend more time in REM sleep.

How getting an adequate amount of sleep helps you work out and get better results

Muscles are made during rest. Recovering well is critical for improving your fitness. When you sleep, your muscles are able to recover. That way you have energy to work out during the day. You will feel really tired during workouts if you don't get enough sleep. This means you won't exercise as hard, making it harder to lose weight and build strength and muscle.

It is important for people starting a fitness program to get a lot of sleep each night. You should sleep for 8 hours a day to ensure you have enough energy to do well in your workouts. If you don't sleep enough, you will feel tired during your workout. This can make it difficult to complete the workout and may make it more likely for you to get hurt.

Some tips on how to make sure you're getting the right amount of sleep every night

So, getting enough sleep is important for exercise and fitness. What are some ways you can get more sleep? One way is to use my favourite tips:

• • make sure you're going to bed and waking up around the same time every day
  • if you are tired during the day but can't sleep at night, try getting into a routine before bed that can help your sleep.
  • avoid taking naps during the day because they make us tired and less likely to fall asleep at night
  • don't bring your phone, iPad or laptop into the bedroom. They emit bright light that makes it hard to sleep.
  • don't go to bed until you feel tired and ready for sleep
  • do something you like before you go to sleep. Read a book, take a bath or drink some chamomile tea

So getting enough sleep is important for getting the most out of your fitness program. Make sure that you commit to getting enough sleep every night, and you will see results faster.

Conclusion

Successful, long-term fitness is about making healthy decisions day in and day out. This means you need to think carefully about your goals so that you can set yourself up for success. Getting enough sleep every night may be the most important step of all because it will give you the energy required to work out at a high-intensity level without getting injured or feeling sore.  Not getting enough sleep each night will make you feel more tired, leading to injury or soreness. To ensure that you get the results you want, make sure that you are making healthy decisions during your day and committing to getting a good amount of sleep every night.