HOW To Improve Your Sleep To Boost Your Fat Loss

Hopefully if you read last week’s article you will now be aware why sleep is so important for fat loss! Next, I want to help you learn HOW you can improve your sleep.

A good starting point is to look at what we are actually aiming for to class as ‘good’ sleep. Around 7-8 hours sleep is what research would class as optimum and within this we want to make sure we are cycling through the 4 different stages of sleep, including REM Sleep and Deep Sleep, as they each have a different purpose.

If you track this on a Fitbit, Oura Ring, Woop Strap, Apple watch or another similar device, then you will hopefully know your current stats on sleep. And if you aren’t currently tracking it, then I suggest you do. If you know where you’re currently at and that it needs improving, then when you apply the following interventions, you’ll know what impact it is actually having (I’m betting it will improve your sleep quality and or quantity!)

So let’s dive in!

1.    Reduce light exposure through the evening- The darkness and lack of light is a sign to the body to get ready for sleep and produce melatonin to help us do this. We therefore want to start to dim the lights, switch to lamps etc as the evening goes on. Computers, phones and TV will also need to be controlled.

2.    Sleep in a pitch black room- Make the room as dark as possible with things like black out blinds or an eye mask to reduce light exposure.

3.    Get out in natural light in the day, especially if you work in a dark office. This will help regulate your circadian rhythm so you are more awake in the day and sleepy at night!

4.    Make sure you room is cool at around 20-22 degrees– We have sensors that tell the brain if we are cool or hot. Our body temperature should start to drop as we go to sleep and it is another sign to the body that we’re ready for sleep.

5.    Reduce entertainment/stimulation  – Psychologically we want to wind down for bed instead of increasing stimulation from watching TV. Some people may find eating or training too late at night will also keep them awake.

6.    Caffeine- Remember it has a half-life of 4-5 hours so we should have a cut off time of 1-2 pm so there aren’t high levels of caffeine in our system before sleep. If we don’t and we have 2 cups at 5pm, it is the equivalent of having 1 cups at 10 pm which is never a gapped recipe for sleep! Remember chocolate, diet coke and tea also contains caffeine so include these in your total intake and cut off times.

7.    Build a sleep routine with a consistent bed time and wake time. This helps your body get into a routine to of being more awake in the day and sleepy at night.

8.    Manage Stress – Stress levels which are poorly managed will increase cortisol levels which will impact our ability to get to sleep as it is the hormone designed to wake us up! We want stress to decrease towards bed time.

9.    Manage Alcohol – Even though it acts as a sedative and will knock you out, this is not the same as good sleep! Alcohol actually inhibits REM sleep which is where memory transfer from the day normally happens and also stops you from recovering as you normally would.

So there are 9 great ways you can boost your sleep quality and support your fat loss journey. Better sleep will also improve overall health makers if this is your goal as well as muscle and strength building goals.

A note to finish on is just to mention supplements for sleep. Like I’ve said in previous articles, supplements are the cherry on top and are not a quick fix. In relation to sleep, it’s pointless taking supplements to help you sleep if you are hammering the coffees till 6pm, then watching a fast paced action movie and knocking back a few beers whilst doing so in a bright room! However if you are ticking all the boxes, Magnesium, Ashwaghanda and L-Theanine are worth trying to help promote a more calm and relaxed nervous system and mind in support of sleep.

I hope you have a great week (and some even better sleep!)

Lizzie x

The One Percent Club

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