Trouble Sleeping?

My Grandma used to say that getting fresh air and exercise aid sleep and given that I live on an island that provides fresh air, sea air and mountain air, you’d think I’d sleep well.

I definitely sleep better but it is not quality sleep. I’ve had years of not sleeping well and have had a sleep test, so I know some of the reasons why.

Here's me wired up for my sleep test (above). It's a surprise I slept at all that night with all that lot on, but I did manage it.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) in the US recommend that adults should sleep approximately 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. How much sleep do you get?

A good night’s sleep is defined as being able to fall asleep quickly, not fully waking during the night and not waking too early and feeling refreshed in the morning. How many of us can say we do that?

Good quality sleep is important for our health and survival. Did you know that lack of sleep or poor quality sleep affects your body’s ability to repair, function well and it can affect your ability to lose weight, and can increase body fat?

This is for several reasons, not least being that poor sleep affects your stress hormones and hunger hormones (as well as several other bodily functions including glucose tolerance). It can also affect your decision-making process when choosing what to eat. Who hasn’t had those times when you are so tired you grab the nearest sweet/carb laden food for energy?

The other thing that might happen is that if you sleep for shorter hours you have more hours available to eat. So if you want to lose weight it’s not a question of just looking at calories, you need to look at many other factors including making sure you have a good night’s sleep.

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Karen is a qualified personal trainer and nutrition coach living in Cyprus near Paphos with her husband Mal and their cat Dave. She has been a personal trainer for 14 years and a qualified nutrition coach for over 2 years. She is passionate about working with people of any age and fitness level to improve their health and wellbeing.

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