Do I get enough good quality SLEEP…?

Sleep restores us physically and helps us to organise things in our minds. Some people cope better with a lack of sleep than others. But all of us will lose concentration easily and experience mood changes when we are tired. We cannot live without sleep!

There are no specific activities for you to conduct regarding sleep as part of the My Basic Training. However, we do encourage you to think about your sleep patterns and the impact that your sleep may be having on your health and wellbeing – good and bad! We will post information throughout the 6-week period and generate conversations to explore this topic in more detail.

Here are a few sleep facts relating to exercise and nutrition to get you started!

• When we’re tired, higher levels of the “hunger hormone” are released. Unfortunately the hormone that tells us when we’re satisfied is lowered. Therefore when we aren’t getting enough sleep our minds tell us we’re hungry and should eat more!
• In particular, insufficient sleep leads us to crave sugar to artificially generate energy…
• When it comes to training, one of the top effects of sleep deprivation on athletic performance is slower muscle recovery. Make sleep a priority in your training schedule!
• “I feel happy and energised after a night full of restless tossing and turning” – said nobody… ever. That’s because only a great night’s sleep leads to a happy and energy filled day.