Sleep is vital to attaining fat loss! It is the time when your body “reprograms” itself… sleep allows the body to regulate its hormones and balance everything out. A couple of hours of sleep a night is not enough for such a complicated task to be fully carried out. Your fat storing hormones are turned down during prolonged sleep. Hormones such as insulin, leptin (a substance that suppresses appetite and lets you know when you are full),cortisol(stress hormone), and adrenaline are lowered and therefore, trigger your body into releasing glucagon, human growth hormone, testosterone. This hormonal atmosphere paves the way for your body to begin burning fat. As you sleep, your body is busy at work regulating these hormones, making them “fit” for the next day… your hormones need a full 8-9 hours to finish this intricate process of fat burning.

Not to mention, after a grueling workout with your Scottsdale personal trainer, the best way to recover is to get a good nights rest. Deep sleep is a chance for your body to recover, repair and rebuild your muscles.

In addition, studies show over and over again that people who do not get enough sleep are more prone to obesity. People who get around 4 hours of sleep a night are 73% more likely to be over weight. Did you know that when your body is sleep deprived grehlin levels rise in your body, which will increase your appetite. In addition, people in general, make poor health/eating decisions when not well-rested.

Lastly, without getting into the deep science of it all, your body KNOWS what times it is based on light not the clock. 8 hours of sleep between 9pm- and 5pm is much more valuable than 8 hours of sleep between 2am and 10am. Your body is incredibly in tune with the sun and moon. Light influences our metabolism far more than you’d imagine. For more on this google “circadian rhythms and sleep”.

In short, getting the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep a night is the best way to reset your “hormonal system”, but also getting to bed before 10pm is essential for maximum restoration and fat loss.

One final thought : you shouldn’t need a blog, a fancy magazine article, a TV special or a Scottsdale personal trainer to convince you of the importance of sleep… it’s something you should know intuitively. When you are well-rested you are more energized, focused, and make better choices. PERIOD!

So, I hope you take better care of yourself starting tonight and optimize your fat burning potential by getting to bed earlier and catching those zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s! Sweet Dreams!