The importance of sleep

We all know the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. However, the third most important element that compliments the two is often ignored by many - Sleep; the unsung hero of fat loss.

Sleep is just as important when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. I'm sure most people could rid themselves of a great deal of problems by simply sleeping an extra hour or two.

The reason sleep is so important is because that's  when your body recovers from all the stress and strain it's been put through. If you've had a demanding day at work, your brain could use some shut eye. If you've trained hard at the gym, your muscles need time to recover, repair and grow. Inadequate sleep leaves muscle recovery incomplete causing severe complications.

This surely means that the next time you hit the gym, you won't be able to train as efficiently. Moreover, lack of sleep affects our hormones and leaves us with brain fog; the inability to think clearly, making it difficult to take everyday decisions.

Once stress builds up, it affects your performance at work. Leptin, the hormone that signals your body to stop eating when it's full begins to malfunction, causing you to eat uncontrollably and subsequently gain weight. It also influences your body's decision to burn or store fat, tipping it in the latter's favor. The psychological side effects are just as bad. Feeling lazy and fatigued will probably make you want to order in rather than cook. It might convince you to skip your work out, or train insufficiently. It may also trick your body into thinking it needs to eat more in order to battle lethargy. Lack of sleep also affects insulin and sugar sensitivity, and can make you prone to diabetes!

All of the above problems can be solved by ensuring that you get a minimum of 8 hours sleep every night. It may just be the solution to your body aches, stress, weight gain and general health issues.