Getting Enough Sleep is Key to Achieving Flat Abs
If you ask anyone who is trying to lose weight, you will most likely hear that most people desperately want to get rid of their belly fat. As a health coach, certified wellness practitioner, and yoga teacher, having flat abs for so many of my clients and students are a long sought after goal. It is very true that flat abs begin in the kitchen, with healthy clean eating, along with sweat and hard work in the form of cardio exercises to burn calories and fat. However, one of the most common misconceptions that most people seem to overlook is the importance of getting enough sleep.
In order to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, and get well-defined abs, you must also make sure you get enough sleep each night. Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night as well as controlling stress is very important if you are trying to burn fat and get lean. If you are not getting enough sleep, more than likely your stress level will increase, which will also raise your cortisol level, and increase the production of body fat. Chronic stress can trigger cortisol and allow the body to store fat in the abdomen, which can make losing belly fat very difficult.
There are two types of body fat and one of them is very difficult to lose, but not impossible. Subcutaneous fat is the excess fat that we can have on our belly, thighs, arms, back, and legs. This type of fat is the easier of the two types of body fats to lose. The second type of body fat is visceral fat. Visceral fat can be very difficult to lose, and can cause significant health problems which include heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The main reason visceral fat is so difficult to get rid of is because this type of fat surrounds the internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and small and large intestines.
Remember, if you are trying to get rid of belly fat, you must control your stress levels, eat healthy clean foods, avoid high amounts of processed foods and sugar, and make certain you get enough sleep. When we do not get enough sleep, we can feel groggy, less productive, and increase our risk of getting chronic diseases. If falling asleep and staying asleep is a difficult for you, try yoga and meditation at least twice a week. If either of these suggestions do not work for you, here are some suggestions and new sleep products that can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep.
I hope one or more of these suggestions, apps, and new technology can help you get some restful sleep and help you reach your health and wellness goals! Remember, when you are trying something new, consistency is key to making long-term changes.
Sleep well!
1). Use blackout curtains to block bright sunlight. According to medical professionals and sleep experts, a dark, cool, and quiet environment is best for sleeping sound.
2). Stop reading or replying to text messages and e-mails at least one to two hours prior to going to bed. Cell phones, tablets, and televisions have blue light which is emitted from these devices and this light can disturb your natural sleep cycle.
3). Try using apps such as F.Lux, which can help eliminate the effects of blue lights from tablets, computer screens, and i-pads. F.Lux will automatically change the color of your screen as the day goes on which will help reduce the amount of blue light you are exposed to.
4). The C-Sleep Dimmable light bulb is blue tooth enabled and can help improve your body’s natural sleep cycle. You can find this unique bulb at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores.
5). The Sense WIFI enabled sleep monitoring system is a sleep tracker that can help you determine the optimal sleeping environment that works best for you. This sleep tracker has sensors that can help with light, sound, temperature, humidity, air quality, and can also help mask loud noises with its sound feature. You can also find the Sense sleep tracker at Lowe’s.
6). The Calm Meditation App now features a new platform called Sleep Stories, which features bedtime stories for adults. The soothing voice and distraction of listening to a story can help you ease into slumber land.
7). The Sleep Envie Pillow was created to help improve the quality of sleep. This new pillow is infused with lavender essential oils, which is known to help calm the senses. In addition, their Skylar Pillow has cooling technology, using a gel memory foam layer on the inside and an ice yarn cover on the outside to keep all sides of the pillow cool on hot summer nights.
8). EyeBuyDirect Digital Protection Glasses. were created for people who watch television to fall asleep. The glasses also work for people who have work late at night on a computer. These specially-made glasses are designed to block out the blue light from all television and computer screens including cell phones. According to the product website, the glasses filter out the high energy visible (HEV) blue-violet light from back-lit screens, helping to ease the disruption is has on your sleep cycle.
9). The Mute Breathe More Snore Less device is new to the market and is designed to help the sleeper who has a snoring problem. Mute is supposed to help snorers open their nasal airways like a stent, which can help increase airflow in the nose. One neat feature of Mute is the ability to individually adjust the device for each nostril, so that users can find their unique comfort level. According to the product’s website, 75% of their users reported much less snoring while using the product.