The Role of “Beauty Sleep” in Weight Loss

Hey Femme Phorm readers! Here’s an update for all of you – I’m 32 weeks pregnant now and expecting a girl on July 22nd! I’m so excited for the new addition to our family! This has not been the most pleasant pregnancy, but all I can say is that beautiful children are miracles that worth all the pain and suffering of pregnancy and labor! This month, 1st Phorm has created a fan page for me so that all my readers can keep up with all my blogs, articles and fitness tips! I’m excited to turn this page into an opportunity to share my progress back to the bikini competition circuit after my second child! I will be sharing my fitness journey on this page along with workout tips, recipes and meal plans for all of my readers to follow along!

Here is the link to my fan page: Facebook.com/GillianRisebury

In this edition of my blog, I’m going to discuss the role of sleep in weight loss. You can probably all recall at some point growing up, an elder telling you how important it is to get your “beauty sleep”. Well, did you know that what they meant was “skinny sleep”? It’s true! Getting adequate rest is crucial to weight loss success. There are many reasons why getting enough sleep is good for your body. When at rest, the body repairs and regenerates itself and without proper sleep, the aging process accelerates, as we do not provide our bodies enough downtime to recuperate from the daily stresses of life. As active as most of my readers are, sleep is especially important in helping us recover from strenuous exercise. Sufficient rest can also effectively reduce the release of stress hormones that lead to increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings and fat storage.

Getting adequate sleep reduces the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol, an important factor in weight loss success. If you have read my blog in the past, I’m sure you are well aware of the nasty hormone known as cortisol. Did you know that when we are sleep-deprived, cortisol levels rise? This action is due to the fact that cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress or lack of sleep. Why is this a bad thing? Well, when too much cortisol is released, the body switches into survival mode and mobilizes glycogen stores from the liver and muscle in order to provide us with energy to survive. This causes an increase in blood sugar levels thus leading to high levels of insulin, resulting in fat storage, particularly in the abdominal region! In addition to this, high levels of this hormone in the body can make us feel hungry even when we have eaten enough! Have you ever noticed that you seem to crave starchy foods when you are sleep deprived? How much sleep you get will dictate your cravings throughout the day. Many dieters crave carbs when they have not had adequate rest.

Femme Phorm Skinny Sleep tips!

• Adults should aim for 7-9 hours of beauty sleep every night.
• Avoid caffeine, cola and chocolate before bed as these stimulants will most definitely delay your beauty sleep.
• The bedroom should be used for only sleep and sex. I have a bad habit of turning my bed into an office, often taking my laptop to bed with me while I write articles, do online learning for my job or answering emails….all while watching TV! The light from the TV and computer screen act as a stimulant, delaying sleep. My suggestion: turn the TV, the cell phone and the computer off and get busy with your partner! Sex helps promote good sleep
• Use herbs like Lavender in the bedroom for relaxing. You can place few drops of lavender oil on the pillow as it relaxes the mind and body. I love Bath and Body Works Lavender and Chamomile pillow spray and body mist. I use them before I go to bed and these products not only smell delish, they really help me to relax!
  Don’t go to bed mad! When your mind is at peace, you will rest better. I find keeping a small journal helpful in putting my thoughts and anxieties on paper and getting them out of my head so that I can relax!
• The best temperature for sleeping is between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to keep your bedroom cool by using a ceiling fan and blocking out light with proper blinds or curtains that shut out heat and light.
• The best time to exercise is in the morning or early afternoon- this is the best time to get a workout in without disturbing your sleep at night. If you usually train in the evening, I recommend instituting a calming ritual post workout to help your body wind down after the rush of endorphins caused by exercise. When I am training for shows or photo shoots, I regularly perform cardio in the evening after I put my son to bed. The only way I can sleep after a 45 minute run on the treadmill is a hot shower with my Lavender body products, followed by some Chamomile tea and a few pages of a book.
• If you are using 1-Db, 1-Db Goddess or 1-Db Overdrive, be sure to take them no later than 6 hours before you plan to hit the sheets. These supplements contain energizing ingredients that may cause difficulty falling asleep.
• Before going to bed, it’s not a good idea to have a heavy meal. It is preferable to have a protein rich snack like a delicious Level 1 protein shake to provide your body with some amino acids as you prepare to enter a fasting phase while you sleep. A Level-1 shake is the perfect blend of quick and slow digesting amino acids to feed your muscles throughout the night without making you uncomfortably full. Protein before bed also stabilizes your blood sugar so that you do not wake up ravenous in the middle of the night and find yourself raiding your fridge with reckless abandon!

I hope you find these tips helpful! I love hearing your thoughts and getting your questions! You can reach me on my facebook page or via my email at Gillian.Risebury@1stPhorm.com!

Gillian

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