SLEEP!

Sleep

We take it for granted and always want more of it. We are meant to sleep through the
night without disruptions. During our restful night sleep our body repairs, recovers and
restores all the damage the day has done.
During exercise you tear down the muscle and with efficient hydration, nourishment and
rest you will rebuild the muscle. So, if you gain 10 lbs. of muscle, you will burn 500 –
700 more calories per day than you did before. And that is just to carry around that
muscle with your daily activities (you even burn more calories at night when you sleep).
So, in order to burn more calories, you must increase your physical activity level.

Why do we Sleep?
For an activity that takes up one-third of our lives, little is known about sleep and
humans. It’s known, for example, that during the deepest phases of sleep growth hormone
is released, energy is restored and the immune system is strengthened, and during REM
(rapid eye movement) sleep we have vivid dreams and our brains may be working on
consolidating memories.
If you are not sleeping through the night it is because of what you are eating! The
Standard American Diet (SAD) has caused everyone to live a life of stress, disease
symptoms, and low energy. Our diets are deficient in vitamins and minerals leaving us
malnourished and overweight!
If you are waking at 2:00 a.m. every night to urinate, it is interrupting your REM sleep.
Our sleep time is when our body repairs, rebuild, recovers by utilizing stored fat as it’s
energy source.
Insomnia, which can occur intermittently or for several days or months at a time, is
classified as:
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking frequently during the night
• Waking too early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep
• Waking feeling un-refreshed
Insomnia will affect your hormone levels and accelerated aging has been named as the
culprit in a variety of diseases including:
• Obesity
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Cancer

Methods to Help You Sleep
If you’re suffering from insomnia it may be tempting to look to a pill for an immediate
solution, but in the long-term the effects of these drugs are likely to be worse than those
of the insomnia.
• Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. When light hits the eyes, it
disrupts the circadian rhythm of the pineal gland and production of melatonin and
serotonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you
get up in the middle of the night.
• No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom. It is too
stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. Also disruptive of
pineal gland function for the same reason as above.
• Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to be woken
suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary.
• Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep
a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.
• Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a
majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.
In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are
awake, the toxins back up into the liver, which then secondarily backs up into
your entire system and causes further disruption of your health.
• Add a high quality protein shake and high quality Omega-3 Fish oil.

Please consult with us for more support!
Cheers & Good Night
Heather Fleming
www.ConsciousNutrition.com