As Spring and Summer inch closer everyone is putting together their master plan on how they are going to be beach ready and burn that stubborn winter body fat. 

While diet and exercise are going to be your primary drivers of success in your recomp but what about another huge part of the pie, sleep...

Without getting the optimal amount of sleep even the best diet and training system will prove little use in your efforts to burn that excess fat. 

So what exactly is the relationship between sleep and fat loss specifically?

When you sleep well your body recovers better and also suppresses a key stress hormone called cortisol (the arch nemesis of all progress). 

Cortisol can restrict blood flow, cause neurotransmitter imbalances and a cascade of other negative health effects that will impact your progress in the gym. 

Oh, did you also know that by sleeping less you typically tend to overeat the following day?

Yep, thats right studies suggest that individuals that sleep less than 6 hours per night routinely consume an extra 250+ calories the following day... it adds up over the weeks and months. 

Scientifically speaking this happens because your ghrelin and leptin (our hunger hormones) are skewed the day following inadequate sleep and not for the better. 

More sleep = less eating

Less sleep = more stress = more eating

So take it from us, prioritize getting 7-8 hours of QUALITY sleep each night, your gains will thank you!

So how do we improve our sleep quality?

When we reference sleep quality we hyper focus on reaching optimal time in REM sleep specifically. 

Lets knock out the low hanging fruit first...

1) Keep your sleep environment cold - 60-68 degrees to be specific is the sweet spot according to studies to reach deep sleep the fastest, you'll also fall asleep faster too. 

2) Black out your room - Prior to sleeping you'll want to adjust lighting so that you are not exposed to bright or intense light and you'll also want to keep both natural and artificial light out of the room as best as possible to avoid disturbances in circadian rhythms. 

3) Limit screen time - Phones, tablets, tv's, and various other blue light producing screens send conflicting signals to our body that stimulates alertness in the later hours of the night. We recommend eliminating all screen time/blue light exposure roughly 90 minutes prior to bed time to allow your body to wind down and reduce sleep disruption. 

4) Proper supplementation - After all lifestyle factors have been maximized for optimal sleep we are left with the option of supplementation to further enhance sleep quality. We advise the use of pharmaceutical sleep drugs because they tend to leave you feeling like a zombie the following day as well as accompany a host of other negative health side effects, avoid these at all costs...

So what supplements will help you get to sleep and reach deep sleep stages the fastest and longest in duration? 

1) Magnesium bisglycinate - This form of magnesium promotes stress reduction, lower body temperature, and a deeper state of rest. 

2) Gaba - A key neurotransmitter that is vital for turning your mind off at night. Ever had that "wired but tired" feeling? Not anymore with the use of Gaba!

3) L-Theanine - An amino acid that will help suppress cortisol and promote relaxation without sedation.

For those looking for a full-spectrum sleep and recovery products we have several to choose from both in-store and online. By far one of the best and most popular all in one ALL NATURAL sleep products on the market, Sleep from Morphogen Nutrition. We have used this product for years with great success with many of our clients and is one of the few products on the market that will improve sleep quality long after discontinuing usage!

As always, our team of specialists are on standby ready to help anyone looking to level up their fitness, fitness, and SLEEP!

Swing through any of our NutriPrime locations and see how we can improve your overall well being through the power of sleep enhancement!