Friday With Heidi: Is tiredness ruining your dreams?

I’ve seen a theme this week with clients that I have been talking to at Fit Camp.

It usually starts with, “I’ve lost my mojo” or “I just can’t get my head in the right place at the moment” or “I can’t stop eating crappy foods”.

After a few questions and a bit of probing it almost always boils down to one, very simple thing.

Sleep. Or lack of it.

Clients that are either chronically tired or over-tired from a few days of long hours and a heavy social life.

Clients that have disturbed sleep from pressure at work or home.

Clients that just don’t get enough sleep because they feel they should always be doing something else and just don’t go to bed.

Sound familiar?

Lack of sleep is the foundation of good health.

• You’ll look grey and sallow if you are sleep deprived.
• You’ll crave quick energy foods like fats and sugars to keep you energised which in turn leave you fat, tired and pale looking.
• Lack of sleep stops you from losing weight or managing your weight.
• Lack of sleep takes the oomph out of your day, the excitement from achieving your goals and the pleasure from spending time with others.
• Lack of sleep stops you from wanting to exercise regularly.

So how much is enough?

7 – 9 hours is still being touted as the optimum amount sleep that we should get each and every night. Making sure we get up at the same time each day and keep to a regular wake / sleep routine.

How do I do this?

Try one thing at a time and be nice to yourself if you slip back to your old ways occasionally. It’s not all over.

Aim to go to bed 30 minutes earlier than you do now for a week, then another 30 minutes earlier the next week, until you are at 7-9 hours sleep most nights.

Stop looking at back lit computer devices about 60 minutes before you go to bed.

Try an Epsom Salts bath. They are relaxing, calming and the magnesium has a soothing sedative like effect (great for aching muscles and a sluggish digestive system too).

If you sleep poorly each night stop caffeine from lunchtime and see how that makes a difference. If you like a nightly glass of wine try a week without and see how the quality of your sleep improves.

Try to get 30 minutes of exercise each day. Preferably outside, but something is better than nothing.

In a very short space of time you will notice the difference in the energy you have, others will notice the difference in how you act and look and you’ll enjoy the difference so much that you won’t want to slip back to you lack of mojo ways.

Managing your health can be a bit of a minefield with the constant messages in the media about what’s good and bad and better and brilliant for us.

I believe that we must put the basics in place first and then we can tweak certain areas of our specific issues.

If you want to learn how to get the basics in place, how to overhaul your diet for exceptional results and to improve your health by looking after your gut health then please join me at our free event on Sunday 26 July at 10am at Winnersh Recreation Ground.

We have 40 spaces available and there are about 14 seats still free. Please click here to book your place.

We’d love to see you.