{"id":18878,"date":"2022-03-18T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T07:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=18878"},"modified":"2024-11-25T13:42:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T13:42:53","slug":"5-benefits-of-a-better-nights-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/5-benefits-of-a-better-nights-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Benefits Of A Better Night’s Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s World Sleep Day. And no, that doesn\u2019t mean you can spend today\u2019s daylight hours buried under your duvet. Well, you can. Who are we to judge? But that\u2019s not quite the idea. This is an opportunity to raise awareness on the health benefits of sleep. Of which there are many. And we\u2019re here to share some of the top ones with you. So if you\u2019re wide awake when you should be sound asleep, read on.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How important is sleep?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Very. If you\u2019re exercising hard, with a strict routine to reach specific goals, it\u2019s even more essential. Sleep is when your body recovers. So if you\u2019re putting it through its physical paces during the day, you need to allow plenty of time for rest at night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How much sleep do we need?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The magic number is often referred to as eight hours a night. But in reality, this would be a luxury for many of us. Seven to nine hours is ideal. Just be aware that if you\u2019re exercising intensely, and regularly get less than seven hours a night, this could affect your performance, increase the risk of injury or lead to fatigue. You\u2019ll then be forced to take a complete break from working out. No one wants that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why do we sometimes struggle to sleep?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Our habits have dramatically changed through evolution. Every other species follows the natural rhythms of each day through the seasons. As humans, and with advances in technology, we make our own rules. We go against the natural rhythms with artificial light. And screens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our bodies naturally produce the hormone melatonin, which regulates our sleep. Levels increase with sunset as a signal it\u2019s time for bed. The blue light produced by screens can interfere with this signal, so despite being tired, your body thinks you should be awake. Too much stress, caffeine, alcohol and even training can also tip the balance. Now, let\u2019s get to the good bit. The benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Reasons to sleep soundly<\/b><\/h2>\n

Promotes muscle repair and tissue growth<\/b><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re training hard. And the most important thing to remember is that your body needs to recover. If you want to reach your goals, quality sleep is vital. Most of your muscle repair and tissue growth take place while you\u2019re tucked up. After all that weight training, it\u2019s important to allow your body to heal and avoid injury. Keep up with your nutrition goals, and combined, you\u2019re better equipped to hit the gym again.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Supports weight control<\/b><\/h3>\n

You know how you feel after a restless night. You\u2019re more likely to reach for comfort foods. This can be a common sleep-deprived decision. But unhealthy choices will eventually deplete you of the little energy you had.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lack of sleep can unnecessarily fire off cortisol, the stress hormone. This can lead to cravings for sugar and\/or fat. Your stop button may also be a little harder to push. Leptin, the hormone that lets your body know when it\u2019s time to stop eating, isn\u2019t quite so efficient in sending the message to the brain.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Recharges your brain<\/b><\/h3>\n

As you know, reaching your goals in training isn\u2019t just about physical strength. You need a strong mind to push your body to the next level. When you sleep, your body is working hard to prepare you for what\u2019s ahead. Unlike your phone, your brain recognises when the battery is running low and cleverly recharges itself. Toxins that you\u2019ve collected during the day, and can cloud your thinking, are removed.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Can boost your immune system<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a no-brainer that a strong immune system is essential for smashing your goals in the gym. Studies show that you\u2019re more susceptible to picking up coughs and colds when you’re short of sleep. Your exhausted body is likely to take longer to fight it off too. And let\u2019s face it, the quicker you get back to the gym the better. Right?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Helps you feel happier<\/b><\/h3>\n

We don\u2019t need research to tell us how much better everything feels after a good night\u2019s sleep. Your mood is likely to be better, you face challenges more easily, you cope with the working day more efficiently and most importantly, you work out better in the gym. So it\u2019s time to set your bedtime routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Your bedtime routine is essential. Aim to go to bed around the same time every night, if you can. You know the drill. Put your phone away, and spend some time relaxing before your head hits the pillow. A hot bath, reading a book or whatever works for you. Just slow things right down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We believe in sharing, and we\u2019d love to know what you\u2019re doing for <\/span>World Sleep Day<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, so don\u2019t forget to tag us in your posts. Check out @bulk for recipes, ambassador workouts and tips. Join the conversation and be part of our community by tagging <\/span>#TeamBulk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Want to see more general health-related content? We believe that every person, with support, has the right to transform their lives through fitness. That’s why we’ve put together hundreds of articles with expert advice, all to help you on your fitness journey. From sleep to mental health, see our other health and wellbeing articles.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s World Sleep Day. And no, that doesn’t mean you can spend today’s daylight hours buried under your duvet. Well, you can. Who are we to judge? But that’s not…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":18884,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1974,1912],"tags":[341,667,671,1599,1986],"class_list":["post-18878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthwellbeing","category-lifestyle","tag-sleep","tag-bedtime-protein","tag-zma","tag-supplements-for-a-good-nights-sleep","tag-world-sleep-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18878"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24420,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18878\/revisions\/24420"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}