The importance of sleep

The Importance of sleep

I have talked about this before and its really ringing true today. While at the Parker seminar a few weeks ago in Las Vegas I heard JJ Virgin talk about the importance of sleep, I have talked a lot about this with my boss and my coach, and it has sunk into my thick head but I still get annoyed with myself for it.
The last 2 weeks my body has been dealing with the 4 knee injuries and trying to heal from it, as well as the upper respiratory infection and the infection in my left eye, as well as all the other stuff I have going on in my body. I have been sleeping a lot , feeling like Rip Van Winkle, but it’s my body’s way of telling me what it needs to heal it’s self. Remember the power that made the body will heal the body, but the most healing occurs while we sleep. So my body has been making me sleep a lot.
Unfortunately- last night my body was saying sleep and my upstairs neighbors where having a snow party that lasted till 5 AM. 2 kegs packed in snow on the deck and what sounded like a 1000 people in their townhouse right above my bedroom… Sleep did not happen till after 6 this morning.
Sleep is a good thing, now I am not talking about 20 hours of sleep constantly. The body needs 7 to 9 hours of consistent sleep in every 24 hour period. People that do not get adequate sleep have a harder time losing weight and tend to be more over weight than those that do. There are several reasons for this, 1 the body views the lack of sleep as a stressor and therefore puts the body into fight or flight mode, which releases excess cortisal which slows the metabolism and keeps us a wake, thus creating a cycle of no sleep. Secondly sleep deprived people tend to eat and drink the wrong things to keep themselves going. So sleep its good for you.

Update on the knee- its progressing slowly and I have to learn to be patient with myself, which is not easy. I have been sitting with it elevated and iced most of the time for over a week. The brace the ortho suggested arrived on Tuesday and is helping a lot; I have been taking the medication and supplements he suggested as well. My coach as suggested some gentle stretching exercises that I am slowly working into. My boss continues to adjust and tape it several times a week. I am slowly improving- as I said I am just impatient and want to be back up and going full throttle …..

Sometimes slowing down and letting the journey take you is the best.
Love and Laughter.
Hoora
Terry