The notion that “more is better” is something we feel needs to be debunked. This is not only connected to exercise but also to other aspects of health. Simply put, too many of us put too much attention on the amount of anything health-related.
Through science, Aspire Coaching has led the way to assure that the success rate for our client’s health goals is completed by not doing more. It is not how much you need to do; it is how you apply the methodology to your schedule to gain the best results with the least amount of effort.
The same goes for sleep. A cornerstone of the foundation of good health and seeing results rising above the horizon. All our personal fitness trainers have put a lot of attention to our tailored personal training programmes on quality sleep. There is no need to explain what a bad night of sleep will do the following day – lack of energy and focus, feeling lazy and unmotivated, and even result in not making the right nutritional choices.
Adjusting training programmes when clients indicate they did not have a good night of sleep is almost a given because the results will not surface during that one hour in our private fitness studio.
We continue to believe we can catch up on bad sleep (quantitative sleep) by sleeping in, and thus extending the hours we lay in bed. As much as quantity is crucial, so is the quality of sleep. Extended hours in bed in a slumbering state do not automatically result in quality sleep. On average, we sleep less (approximately 6 hours a night, versus the recommended 7-9 hours).
This is where sleep rhythm comes into play.
The fascinating research done across the globe by renowned universities and research centres is now concluding that regular bedtime is of the greatest importance, too. Part of this is connected to the release of growth hormone (GW). It is no longer sleep deprivation that limits the release of growth hormone – an important protein-based hormone that controls body growth and repair as well stimulates the use of glucose and fat in the body – but also rhythm.
According to new 2022 findings from leading universities in the United States – particularly from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – reported that if we head down into dreamland 1-2 hours later than our usual bedtime, we may not get a healthy dose of growth hormone release from the pituitary gland. On numerous occasions, the release was practically zero on test subjects when analysing the findings. Humans do need a regular release of growth hormone (GW) for human development and performance.
Although GW is released around the clock, it peaks when we hit those first 90 minutes of sleep. At approximately the same time every single night.
All above is regardless of whether we sleep in or not. The connection with going asleep in alignment with your circadian rhythm (your biological clock) has been reaffirmed as of immense importance. While that 7-9 hours’ sleep is definitely one should aim for, upholding a regular bedtime has again shown not to be ignored.
As part of the Aspire Coaching programming, all our strategic coaching sessions include sleep strategies and looking into the sleep habits of our clients.
