Sleep for Success!
By Dr. Rick Kattouf
II
Whether your goals revolve
around body transformation, improved overall health & fitness and/or
improved athletic performance, sleep quality and quantity is a key ingredient. According
to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep deprivation occurs when an
individual fails to get enough sleep. One in five adults fail to get the proper
amount of sleep each night. How do you know if you are sleep deprived? Well,
here are a few signs to be aware of:
- Irritability
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of energy
- Restlessness
- Increased errors
- Fatigue
If you are experiencing these or
similar symptoms, you very well may be experiencing sleep deprivation. How do
we recover from sleep deprivation? According to the American Academy of Sleep
Medicine, there is no substitute for sufficient sleep. The only sure way for an
individual to overcome sleep deprivation is to increase nightly sleep time to
satisfy his or her biological sleep need.
Understandably, we all lead
very busy lives, and all too often, getting the right amount of sleep falls
lower and lower on the list of priorities. According to Dr. David Geier, most
people need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Not getting enough sleep can lead to
a myriad of negative outcomes. The effects of sleep deprivation go far
beyond an individual just feeling tired and exhausted. For example, sleep
deprivation can cause the following:
- Decreased performance
and alertness
- Memory and cognitive
impairment
- Automobile Injury: The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates
conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least
100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.
- According to the Mayo
Clinic, studies show that if you don’t get enough sleep, it’s more likely
that your body won’t be able to fend off invaders. It may also take you
longer to recover from illness. Long-term sleep deprivation raises your
risk of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular
diseases.
- According to Harvard
Medical School, a few studies have found a link between lack of sleep and
weight gain. Along with eating too much and not exercising, sleep
deprivation is one of the risk factors for obesity.
- According to Harvard
Medical School, studies show that sleeping less than five hours a night
increases the risk of death from all causes by about 15 percent. Sleep
deprivation is dangerous to your mental and physical health and can
dramatically lower your quality of life.
As you can see, sleep
deprivation is not something we want to take lightly. No matter how busy we
are, if we want to perform at our best and achieve our goals in all aspects of
life (mother, father, business owner, student, athlete, fitness enthusiast,
overall health, body composition, etc.), getting the right amount of sleep each
night needs to be a priority. Let's be sure to sleep for success!
WORKOUT SMART, EAT RIGHT, GET RESULTS®!
Download
the TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC app:
Rick
Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert
and has been named one of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World
Fitness Elite® Trainers of the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist,
Heart Rate Performance Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon
Coach. He has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country
as well as in the USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Ironman.com, Livestrong.com,
FIGHT! Magazine, Florida Cycling Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick
is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Nutrition
LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of TeamKattouf® Nutrition
Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever Fit, Creator of 5-Round
Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness® workout app, Creator of
Coach2CEO, Creator of Fuel Keeper®, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr.
Rick has personally coached individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
