Sleep Is The New Fitness: How People Are Optimizing Their Full 24 Hours
For years we’ve been told that fitness is the best path to health, wellness, and even beauty. We do it thinking that whatever we are trying to achieve is promised to us. What if the real magic isn’t what you do during the day? It's what's happening at night.
In many ways, sleep can be just as effective or even more so than working out. New research shows that not getting enough sleep can impact a person's physical health, mental health, and physical appearance. For example, when you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t have enough time to raise your testosterone, which is what you need to build muscle mass and strength in your body. A lack of sleep can interfere with the normal production of hormones that help regulate appetite, leading to more hunger that can contribute to weight gain, which just defeats the purpose of working out.
You can’t properly work out without enough sleep. Without it, it can be pointless.
Source: Youtube
Many people use working out as a way to ease their minds. For example, when I’m feeling stressed, I tend to go for a walk or sign up for daily yoga classes back home, but what people don’t know is that a good night's sleep can offer relief to brain cells that are under stress. Studies show that waking up refreshed may also help reduce the feelings of irritability and anxiety that can worsen stress. Additionally, when you sleep, your brain clears things that you don’t need anymore, making way for improved brain function.
Sleep plays a big role in memory, focus, and judgment. So if you have found yourself in some pretty bad situations lately because of poor judgment, you should probably go to bed early tonight.
Source: Youtube
You might’ve seen the viral TikTok trend known as “morning shed.” If you haven’t, it involves putting on excessive products overnight, like mouth tape, face masks, and even face bandages, to supposedly enhance your beauty by the morning. While these people’s intentions may be to maximize productivity, these things are all really unnecessary. The body is already made to do all these things naturally.
Benefits of restful nights can include: reduced wrinkles, better complexion, diminishing dark circles, and even helping build stronger hair. We are already made with everything we need to enhance our natural beauty. Instead of splurging on a trip to Sephora, what you really need is a trip to your bed.
Source: Youtube
Sleep really is the base of our wellness.
In a world where people try to profit off of everything from our mental and physical health, to even our self image and appearance, it’s good to know that we shouldn’t chase productivity at the expense of rest. We should recognize that prioritizing sleep is the ultimate act of self care.
Which do you prioritize more, sleep or gym? Leave a comment below.