When you make out a list of goals, to-do items, or even health achievements, very few people write sleep first. But, I’m here to tell you why this SHOULD be a top priority – even before improving nutrition and exercise.
While it may not sound as “sexy” as getting a fit booty for your next trip or may not be as trendy as intermittent fasting or doing keto, prioritizing your sleep will help you to better implement your nutrition and exercise plans, which will allow your body to embrace the improvements and reduce your risk of illness.
The CDC shares that “insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic,” with 70% of Americans not getting enough sleep at least once a month and at least 10% not getting enough sleep nightly.
Why does this matter?
Approximately 20% of vehicle accidents are now being blamed on drowsy driving. And mother.ly reports that “mothers are sleep deprived for the first six years of parenthood.” So – when “they” say sleep when the baby sleeps, there’s a reason! Now, I have 3 kids – so don’t worry, I know this advice sucks because it’s impossible when you’re trying to have a normal life.
Sleep is literally a third of our life. When we don’t sleep, our body doesn’t have time to do things like recover, build muscles, and store memories. That little joke about “mom brain” isn’t so funny anymore – as it’s completely true. If it wasn’t for my photos, I wouldn’t remember most of my twins’ first year of life.
Research is telling us that when we are sleep deprived (which, is there ANY mother out there that isn’t?!), our body simply can’t perform as well as it would with rest. We feel tired faster, we don’t reach our highest fitness level when exercising, and ultimately give up sooner than we would. Thus, if you’ve tried to work on fitness goals and find yourself falling short, and not making it even to the second or third week, there’s a reason – your body is still too tired to make it work.
W. Christopher Winter, MD, from Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine stated:
“If you don’t sleep, you undermine your body.”
He wrote the book “The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It,” and shares that it’s important to understand your own sleep patterns, and to create rituals that you stick with. Most important? Sticking with your schedule – wake up and go to bed at nearly the same time. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s what we do when we sleep train our kids – so why don’t we ever follow suit? Track your sleep for a week and see where you’re doing well and what you need to focus on. Then, set a time that’s reasonable for you.
Need other ideas for putting sleep first?
- Make sure not to eat/drink much 3 hours prior to bed. This affects digestion and metabolism and for some of us, wakes us up for restroom breaks.
- Clean your room. Marie Kondo it – as having a clean space can help you sleep.
- Get a new mattress. If it’s not in the budget, maybe consider just a new mattress topper.
- Get your phone and any other electronics OUT of the bedroom. This one is hard, as I know I use my phone for an alarm, and to keep me occupied when I can’t sleep, but that’s exactly why it shouldn’t be in the bedroom at all. OR – if it is your alarm, etc. – you can adjust settings to make it less interesting such as dimming the light, setting it to black and white or disabling apps during certain time frames that suit your schedule.
And guess what? Exercise can further enhance your sleep. Once you start to exercise, you’ll notice that your exercise patterns will further be enhanced, as exercise can help you regulate your Circadian Rhythm. But, it’s important not to do challenging workouts right before bed, as you can increase your heart rate, body temperature, and make it harder to fall asleep.
And, with healthy sleep, you’re more likely to better self-regulate your eating and need less caffeine. This is a win-win, as you’ll not feel hungry nor will you have as much of a challenge falling asleep at night. There is research that also shows that a lack of sleep and obesity are connected, and getting control directly helps to change behaviors that drive obesity such as late snacking and fatigue.
Mamas – we got this. I know it’s hard, but we’ve just got to get our sleep first.
This post is part of a series called #HealthBeforeFitness. While it’s important to address exercise and nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, it can be more important to prioritize other health behaviors before beginning a fitness routine or beginning the latest diet. I’ll share topics from the lens of being a mom while also having a Ph.D. in Health Education and a certification in Health Coaching, so I promise, the recommendations are legit.
