It’s morning. You can hear the world already buzzing outside and yet there you lie, struggling to throw off the covers and seize the day. Coffee is the first thing you aim for – you need it like you need air! So why are you so tired?

Like millions of other people in the world, you may be wondering: why am I tired when I wake up? This issue has plagued many people for so long, and the answer is far simpler than most people realize.

The answer to most people’s constant exhaustion is their diets. However, not many of us realize that not getting enough protein, vitamins, etc., can lead to decreased energy levels. Excessive amounts of coffee throughout the day could cause sleep issues as well – so by caffeinating to wake up, you’re really just creating a vicious cycle. The answer could even be an underlying medical issue.

In this overview, we’ll cover the multiple reasons you may be feeling tired and what you can do to fix it. We’ll also discuss the effects sleep deprivation can have on your mind and body, as well as natural remedies and supplements you could use to boost your energy levels.

Why Is Sleep So Important?

Most people don’t realize why sleep is so important for their health. You may have difficulty focusing, driving, and working after not getting a good night’s rest. Studies have shown that long-term sleep deprivation could even cause issues such as memory loss, depression, heart attacks, or even strokes. We need sleep not only to survive, but also to live our lives to the fullest.

What Are The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation?

If the main question you ask yourself each day is “Why do I feel tired?”, you may recognize the physical and mental effects of near-constant fatigue. Here are just a few effects sleep deprivation could have on you:

• Mental fatigue
• Increased risk of having a heart attack
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Weakened immune system
• Memory loss

Some Of The Common Reasons You’re Not Resting Properly

There are so many reasons you might be feeling tired despite getting a healthy amount of sleep each night. Figuring out what’s wrong may be as easy as changing what you eat, or could require you to see a doctor for a diagnosis.

Here are five things that could be causing your exhaustion.

1. Poor Diet

By not consuming enough protein, vitamins, minerals, etc., your body won’t have enough resources to produce the energy you need to function properly throughout the day. Simply consuming more green vegetables and lean proteins could boost your energy levels tenfold.

2. Excessive Stress

Most of us have something in our lives that gets us stressed out to the max, but all that stress is bad for our health. Talk therapy has been found to help overly stressed individuals sleep better.

3. Inactive Lifestyle

Not exercising because you’re tired could cause you to be even more tired. To sleep better at night, try adding a small amount of exercise at a time to your daily routine.

4. Excessive Caffeine Consumption

Too much caffeine could lead to interrupted sleep in the evenings. By reducing the amount of caffeine you consume each day, you could see a change in your energy levels. 

5. Health Problems

Certain medical conditions can cause fatigue and will require a medical diagnosis before you can start receiving treatment. These conditions include iron deficiency (anemia), depression, anxiety, and heart disease, to name a few.

Are There Supplements For Energy?

So now that you know the reasons behind your constant fatigue, the next thing you may be asking yourself is how to stop feeling tired all the time. For many people, the answer is energy drinks or coffee, but as we mentioned above, excessive caffeine has been proven to worsen your sleeping problems. However, there are many supplements for energy and peptides for energy you could try to naturally increase your energy levels, such as the sleep box by Vital RX.

Are There Natural Ways To Feel Less Tired?

Now that you have an idea of why you’re constantly exhausted, you may be wondering: is there a natural way to stop waking up tired with no energy? The answer is yes! Here’s a few things you could try to boost your energy levelsnaturally.

1. Cut Out The Caffeine

Most of us start our days with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. If this were the only caffeine you consumed each day, it wouldn’t cause any issues, but most of us continue to drink coffee throughout the day. Whether we have it with lunch or just for the heck of it, an excessive amount of caffeine could lead to poor sleeping habits. Try limiting yourself to just one or two cups of coffee per day.

2. No More Naps

Napping in the middle of the day could result in less sleep in the evenings, leaving you exhausted all day long.

3. Be More Active

If you’re working a sedentary job where you sit most of the day, try taking short walks around the office a few times a day. Even this small bit of added exercise could lead to better sleep.

By altering your diet, setting sleep times, and getting more active, you could enhance your restfulness and put tired days behind you.

Featured image by Lograstudio on Pixabay

If you experience short-term or chronic anxiety, you’re likely familiar with how it feels when an attack is happening. It may come on slow and begin to build rapidly. Your heart begins to race and your breathing quickens. During this time, your body goes through several different processes, all of which consume energy. This is why people often feel exhausted after a bout of anxiety or stress.

Many people may feel the mental anguish of a stressful situation causes tiredness. However, there’s more going on beneath the surface that causes fatigue following an attack of anxiousness. But what does anxiety do to the body, and how does it affect how much energy you have? Read on to learn how anxiety can influence energy levels. 

What does anxiety do to the body? 

Anxiety is an intense feeling of dread, worry, or impending doom. It can occur sporadically because of stressful events. It can also be chronic, as is the case with anxiety disorders. In many cases, people feel anxiety in entirely safe situations, where nothing specific is triggering the feelings.

When the brain thinks there is a threat, hormones are released from different areas such as the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, and hypothalamus. These hormones prepare you to fight or flee the perceived danger. When those hormones are released, they trigger physical symptoms that can include:

• Shaking 
• A faster heart rate
• Chest pain
• Shallow and rapid breathing
• Dry mouth
• Muscle tension
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness 

These physical symptoms all contribute to the fatigue people feel after experiencing a bout of anxiety. However, if stress is constant or occurs more often, that tiredness can stick around even after rest. 

How can anxiety affect a person’s ability to function? 

Because of the physical symptoms above, a person’s ability to participate in regular activities during a bout of anxiety can be near impossible. Every system in the body is affected differently. 

Central nervous system 

The release of hormones during anxiety and stress increases symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and depression. That is because the nervous system becomes flooded with the hormones and chemicals that are released to help deal with a specific threat. 

Cardiovascular system

The cardiovascular symptoms arising during bouts of anxiety put stress on your heart muscle. That can increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure. Some chest pain associated with anxiety may even feel like a heart attack, prompting people to visit a hospital. 

Digestive system 

The digestive system can get thrown out of balance because of anxiety. Stomach aches, nausea, and diarrhea are all common symptoms of anxiety, meaning day-to-day living can be disrupted severely. Dealing with gastrointestinal issues can also sap your energy. 

Immune system

The flood of chemicals released during anxiety also affects the function of the immune system. Constant stress can leave a person with a weakened immune system that cannot fight off pathogens as well as it should. With a weaker immune system and more risk of sickness, you are likely to feel more tired if you catch a common cold or other illness. 

Sleep 

If you aren’t getting enough quality sleep, you will not be able to function at your best. Long-term anxiety can negatively affect your sleeping patterns, sometimes leading to insomnia. Insomnia and other sleep issues such as the inability to stay asleep throughout the night can, over time, cause a person to feel chronically tired. 

The issue with sleep and anxiety is that the two can be codependent. That means that one can cause the other and vice versa. If it goes on long enough, this cycle will lead to severe tiredness in people with chronic anxiety.  

What does anxiety fatigue feel like? 

There are two ways that anxiety can cause a person to feel tired all the time. The first is sleep-related, and the second is known as anxiety fatigue.

Fatigue is mental or physical tiredness that does not go away. People with fatigue often feel weak, unmotivated, and as if they need sleep throughout the day. Anxiety fatigue is fatigue brought on by anxiety.

Some symptoms that you can experience if you have anxiety fatigue include: 

• Brain fogginess 
• Inability to concentrate or finish a thought 
• Poor memory 

The little things that you do daily can feel highly taxing, and it’s hard to escape those feelings if you have anxiety that continues every day. Eventually, stress and anxiety may lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition marked by excessive fatigue that will not go away. 

How can you restore your energy levels? 

To address fatigue caused by anxiety, you have to take it step by step. The first thing you will want to do is manage your stress and seek treatment. You should also adopt specific lifestyle changes. To help curb anxiety’s effects while undergoing treatment, you can: 

• Develop bedtime and wake-up routines to get into a good cycle of sleep 
• Engage in some form of exercise every day 
• Try meditation to reduce the overall levels of stress hormones in your bloodstream

Anxiety isn’t easy to deal with, and neither is being tired all the time. The best thing you can do for both is address your anxiety head-on and get the proper treatment and lifestyle practices in place. 

Featured image by Abbie Bernet on Unsplash

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, roughly 40 million American adults have an anxiety disorder. That is close to 20% of the population. With such a high prevalence, many people deal with the debilitating symptoms of anxiety daily. Over half of those suffering from anxiety deal with at least one anxiety attack each year. 

Anxiety disorders and panic attacks are treatable using various medications or therapeutic techniques. However, they are not curable. The only thing that medicine or therapy can do is help people manage their symptoms and avoid having panic attacks as best they can. 

One way people can keep anxiety and anxiety attacks at bay is by knowing triggers and learning how to cope appropriately. But what are the most common triggers of anxiety? Read on to learn more. 

What is the most common cause of anxiety? 

There is no single most common cause of anxiety. Typically, various factors play into its development. Anxiety disorders are generally the number one cause associated with anxiety and panic attacks; however, medical researchers are yet to understand why these disorders develop.

Other things that can lead to anxiety and panic attacks include trauma, stress, medications, drug use, and other underlying medical conditions. Each person’s anxiety will develop because of something different, and no two people experience it the same way. 

What triggers anxiety attacks? 

People with anxiety often get to know their individual triggers to cope with their disorders and symptoms. However, some more general triggers can cause anxiety attacks to occur. These include: 

1. Health issues

Being told that you have an illness can make you feel like your world is ending. It can be a profound and drastic life change that will turn things upside down. When a person already has anxiety, or even if they don’t, dealing with severe or chronic illness can trigger feelings of anxiety or a panic attack. 

2. Medications 

While medications keep your health in check, some have nasty side effects. One such side effect can be anxiety or panic attacks. The medicines that trigger these feelings can be either prescribed to you or over-the-counter. Ingredients in the medication can trigger emotional or physical changes that cause an anxiety attack when you’re least expecting it.

Medicines that may cause this include: 

• Weight loss medications
• Birth control pills
• Cough and congestion medicines 
• Inhalers for congestion or chest infections 

3. Caffeine

Caffeine in small doses may not cause anxiety in most people, but it can send some into a panic attack. Research has found that people with existing anxiety disorders are more susceptible to the effects of caffeine. 

4. Hunger and skipping meals 

Blood sugar and anxiety can go hand-in-hand in some cases. If you skip meals, your blood sugar drops. When that happens, the body begins to experiences symptoms such as jittery hands. Research has found that the hungrier you are, the higher your anxiety levels may be. 

5. Negative thoughts 

Your thoughts have a remarkable ability to control physical sensations within the body. Suppose you constantly repeat negative phrases or words to yourself in times of distress. In that case, you can trigger feelings of anxiety without even realizing it. The mind–body connection is strong, and if you aren’t kind to yourself, you may be doing yourself more of a disservice than you realize. 

6. Finances 

Money makes the world go round, and when people are experiencing a financial worry or downfall, it can trigger anxiety or panic attacks. Worrying about one’s financial position and falling behind on bills have been shown to correlate with anxiety and depression.  

7. Social events

Social anxiety is a form of anxiety disorder that affects people in a specific way. People with the condition often feel significant anxiousness while in social situations. They may even experience an anxiety attack at a party or other social gathering. Social interaction with even a few people, or someone you don’t know, could bring on an anxiety attack for some. 

8. Conflict 

When a person has stress surrounding their relationships with their partner, friends, family, or coworkers, they may experience an increase in anxiety or panic attacks. People with anxiety feel an increase in physical and emotional distress when they have to witness or engage in hostile situations. 

In some cases, conflict can be much more profound – for example, if a person is in a war-like situation. Research shows that people who experience this more severe form of conflict in their life may suffer from anxiety and panic attacks years after the events took place. 

9. Stress

Stress and anxiety are often connected because of how they influence each other. Stress can trigger feelings of anxiety, and anxiety can trigger the physical stress response in the body. When people experience high levels of stress for any reason, it can trigger anxiety symptoms and even full-blown panic attacks. 

While these triggers are common, they do not affect all people with anxiety disorders similarly. People may also have personal triggers that are unique to them and their own life experiences. The best thing you can do for your anxiety attacks is to learn your triggers and develop coping mechanisms to help you manage your symptoms. 

Featured image by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

People who suffer from anxiety know how difficult it can be. There are several types of anxiety disorders, all of which come with their own set of symptoms. When a person develops an anxiety disorder, they often experience mental and physical symptoms that can be debilitating. 

One of the most challenging symptoms of anxiety is an anxiety attack. People who suffer these types of attacks most likely require treatment. In some cases, taking medication can work for people with an anxiety disorder, but that’s not always the case. Many people suffer from treatment-resistant anxiety or prefer to go the natural route. So are there supplements you can take to help in these situations? Read on to learn more about what supplements are good for anxiety attacks.

What are anxiety attacks? 

Anxiety attacks are also known as panic attacks. During an attack, a person will experience feelings of intense fear or panic that lead to severe physical and emotional symptoms. In some cases, an anxiety attack can bring on chest pain that is so severe it can feel like a heart attack.

These attacks can occur with or without triggers, making them impossible to predict. The good news is that there are natural ways to keep anxiety attacks at bay. 

What is the best natural supplement for panic attacks?

Natural supplements are gaining traction in the health and wellness world because they are effective and do not contain chemical ingredients. The best natural supplements for panic attacks include: 

Saffron 

Saffron is a type of spice used in cooking. However, it has a lot of beneficial medicinal properties. People who suffer from anxiety attacks can benefit from taking saffron because of its antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants are used in the body to help balance free radicals. When free radicals build up, it can create various health problems. 

Research shows that saffron supplements can reduce anxiety so effectively that it rivals the anti-anxiety medication known as fluoxetine. 

Chamomile 

Chamomile is a popular tea people drink for its calming properties. While tea is an excellent way to consume chamomile, people with anxiety may want to opt for supplements. Studies show that chamomile can help reduce anxiety symptoms in people with severe generalized anxiety disorder. 

L-theanine 

L-theanine is a natural amino acid found in green tea. When taken in supplement form, it can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Certain mood disorders that cause anxiety as a secondary symptom can also be relieved using L-theanine. 

Curcumin 

Curcumin is one of the main compounds found in turmeric. It also gives the spice its bright hue. Curcumin is a polyphenol, a plant-based compound packed with health-boosting antioxidants. It has been shown to reduce inflammation as well as symptoms of depression. In terms of anxiety, regular curcumin use can reduce symptoms significantly.  

CBD

Cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD, is a natural compound found in marijuana plants. Its popularity has grown in recent years with the increase in marijuana legalization across the county. The medicinal benefits have been studied extensively, and current evidence finds that people with anxiety disorders can reduce their symptoms when using CBD.  

What vitamins are best for anxiety? 

While natural supplements can be helpful, giving the body the nutrients it needs can also keep anxiety levels down. Some of the best anti-anxiety vitamins include: 

Magnesium glycinate 

Magnesium is a mineral the body needs for various functions, including the stress response. Since stress and anxiety go hand in hand, regulating the stress response can aid in reducing anxiety. This can in turn reduce the number of panic attacks a person has. 

Vitamin D3

One of the most common nutrient deficiencies is vitamin D3. People often fail to get enough through diet alone, and the health of the body and mind suffers for it. The body uses vitamin D3 to help regulate mood and encourage good brain function. People with anxiety are far more likely to be deficient in the vitamin, showing a connection between the two. 

Research shows that people with anxiety who take vitamin D3 supplements can reduce their symptoms, including panic attacks. The severity of their anxiety can also be reduced, decreasing panic attacks over time. 

Omega-3 

Omega-3s are vital to brain health and function. Many people don’t get enough through diet and nutrition alone. Studies have examined omega-3 supplementation in people with anxiety and found that the vitamin can reduce symptoms of the disorder if taken in high doses. 

Vitamin C 

Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to help combat free radical buildup and oxidative stress. Since oxidative stress can cause inflammation and other issues within the body, it’s essential to maintain balance as best you can.

For people with anxiety, oxidative stress can contribute to worsened symptoms. Research surrounding vitamin C and anxiety concluded that people who take 500 mg of vitamin C daily could reduce their anxiety symptoms over the long term. 

None of these supplements will take a panic attack away while it’s happening. However, taking them regularly will help reduce overall anxiety in people with these disorders and thus reduce the frequency of panic attacks. 

Featured image by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

If you find yourself feeling tired all the time, you’re not alone. Life can be insanely busy in this day and age. Many people tend to skip out on sleep to get more done, so it’s no surprise tiredness is so prevalent. However, there is a difference between feeling tired and feeling fatigued. One happens after a long and stressful week, while the other is often chronic and results in exhaustion no matter what you do.

Getting to the bottom of your excessive tiredness can be difficult because so many different things could be at play. To help, here are 11 possible reasons you may be feeling tired.

What causes fatigue?

Various things can cause fatigue, such as the following…

1. Sleep Quality

Most people assume that a lack of sleep is the culprit behind their tiredness, but that’s not always the case. Getting the recommended seven to nine hours a night is important – but you might as well be pulling an all-nighter if your sleep quality isn’t where it needs to be. Sleep quality is more important than quantity. As you cycle through the sleep stages, your body uses that time to repair and rejuvenate itself. Without good quality sleep that allows you to go through all of these stages, you’re going to feel tired. End of story.

2. Diet

What you eat plays a huge role in your energy levels. If you find yourself consuming a diet that lacks essential nutrients, your body is going to feel it. This leads to excessive tiredness. Some nutrient deficiencies are more closely connected to energy, such as:

• Iron
• B vitamins
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium

Imbalances in your diet can also contribute to chronic fatigue. For example, if you undereat, your body doesn’t get all the calories it needs to function. When it lacks calories, it lacks energy.

3. Stress

Being chronically stressed will severely deplete your energy levels. Research shows that people with chronic stress can develop stress-related exhaustion disorder. This disorder is marked by – you guessed it! – high levels of stress that cause severe tiredness. Learning stress reduction techniques can help combat this.

4. Medical Conditions

Not all medical conditions will lead to fatigue. However, some can zap your energy levels and keep you running on empty a lot of the time. If you feel tired all the time, you could simply have an undiagnosed disorder. Conditions such as sleep apnea, anxiety, and diabetes can all deplete your energy levels.

5. Caffeine

Many people drink caffeinated beverages to wake themselves up. But depending on the amount you drink, you could be doing yourself a disservice. Drinking too much caffeine throughout the day affects how well you sleep at night. This makes you more tired the next day. Then, you drink more caffeine to help wake up again – and the cycle continues. Reducing your caffeine intake can help break the cycle.

6. Dehydration

Staying hydrated is important for a variety of reasons. When it comes to fatigue, hydration (or a lack thereof) could play a large role. As the day goes on, the body uses its stores of water to help keep things running properly. If you fail to replenish yourself, your body has to work harder to perform those same functions. Because of that, you’re going to feel tired.

7. Weight

If you are carrying some extra weight, you may feel fatigued a lot of the time. This is because obesity can actually increase the risk of developing chronic fatigue. It also plays a role in other health disorders that could hinder your ability to get good quality sleep. Mood disorders, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea are all connected to obesity and sleep quality.

8. Drugs and Alcohol

Using drugs and alcohol or suffering from dependence can cause you to feel tired all the time. People who are dependent on substances are far more likely to suffer from fatigue than those who are not.

9. Work Schedule

The body runs on an internal clock that is set to daylight and nighttime hours. When the sun goes down, the body readies for sleep. When it comes back up again, your body gears up for another day. That’s all well and good for people who keep a typical 9–5 schedule – but for people who have varied hours, the body’s internal clock gets disrupted.

This internal disruption can lead to sleep disorders that drive excessive fatigue. When the circadian rhythm in the body isn’t cycling as it should, your body and mind will suffer from excessive tiredness.

10. Lifestyle

People who live sedentary lifestyles are often subject to chronic tiredness. Research has found that daily movement can make a big difference in your energy levels. In some cases, exercise can even improve symptoms of fatigue.

Basically, people who move more experience better energy levels, while people who fail to exercise regularly are often lacking in the energy department.

11. Medications

Medications are often behind chronic tiredness. Of course, this depends on the type of medication you take. Blood pressure and mood disorder meds are notorious culprits behind excessive tiredness. When looking at antidepressants, studies show that they can hinder sleep and lead to fatigue.

Feeling tired all the time is not fun and it can make even the simplest of tasks that much more difficult. If you’re suffering from chronic fatigue or tiredness, the best thing you can do is make an appointment with your doctor, who will be able to investigate further. When they come to a conclusion, you can work on restoring your energy levels.

Featured image by Mel Elias on Unsplash

Sleep is essential for our bodies and minds. We can’t operate optimally if we don’t get enough good quality sleep. During sleep, the body repairs itself; cells repair and rebuild, hormones are secreted that promote bone and muscle growth, the immune system is strengthened, and any illnesses are fought against.

Also during sleep, our brain consolidates memories and processes information; new learning occurs when the brain experiments with novel new connections (hence our often bizarre dreams!); and emotions and emotional memories are processed. The power of sleep is pretty clear – but are you aware of how your quality of sleep can influence fitness levels? Read on to learn more.

Sleep Stages

There are four stages of sleep. This includes three stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and one stage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We cycle through these stages several times each night.

• NREM stage 1: Lasts for about 5 to 10 minutes. The body relaxes and the brain, heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements all slow down.
• NREM stage 2: We spend about 20 mins in this stage every cycle. We become less aware of your surroundings, our body temperature drops, our eye movements stop, and our breathing and heart rate become more regular. The brain begins to produce bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity, which are known as sleep spindles and are thought to play a major role in memory consolidation.
• NREM stage 3: Also referred to as delta sleep or deep sleep. During this stage, muscles are completely relaxed, blood pressure drops, breathing slows, and the body starts its physical repairs. The brain consolidates memories about personal experiences, general knowledge, facts or statistics, and things we have learned during the day.
• REM: REM sleep is also known as dream sleep. During REM sleep, the body is paralyzed but the brain is active. The body is relaxed and immobilized, the breathing is fast and irregular, and the eyes move rapidly. Dreaming occurs, emotions and emotional memories are processed and stored, and information is locked into memory.

How Much Sleep Is Enough?

How much sleep we need depends on our age. It is recommended that:

• Infants below age one get 12 to 16 hours’ sleep
• 1–2-year-olds get 11 to 14 hours’ sleep
• 3–5-year-olds get 10 to 13 hours’ sleep
• 6–12-year-olds get 9 to 12 hours’ sleep
• 13–18-year-olds get 8 to 10 hours’ sleep
• People over age 18 get at least 7 hours’ sleep

How Does Sleep Affect Physical Fitness?

How your quality of sleep can influence fitness levels is an important topic to understand. So in what ways does sleep affect physical performance?

Research suggests that sleep deprivation, even for short periods of time, can have a very detrimental effect on physical and mental performance. Essentially, not getting enough quality sleep causes a reduction in the quality of physical performance by impairing cognitive or motor performance.

Further research suggests that with insufficient sleep, accuracy levels decrease. Research also shows that with enough sleep, general athletic performance increases, as do mood and alertness. Research even indicates that poor quality sleep can lead to obesity.

The Relationship Between Sleep And Exercise

Getting enough sleep means that your body and mind will be optimally repaired and rejuvenated, and ready to engage in physical exercise. Research suggests that the more you exercise (as long as it’s not too close to bedtime), the better quality of sleep you will have.

Why Does A Lack Of Sleep Affect Your Body’s Performance?

A lack of sleep affects the body’s performance because it means that the body has not had enough time to repair and rejuvenate itself. It has not had a chance to heal any injuries or general wear and tear. Also, learning has not had a chance to take place, and memories and experiences have not had a chance to be fully consolidated if sufficient sleep has not taken place.

Lifestyle Factors That Prevent Good Quality Sleep

For many people, lifestyle factors prevent them from getting enough good quality sleep. This has a negative impact on their health and fitness. Some lifestyle factors that prevent people from getting enough sleep are:

• Shift work
• Consuming caffeine late in the day
• Lack of a sleep schedule
• Not allowing yourself enough time in bed
• Overwork
• Exercise too close to bedtime
• Alcohol too close to bedtime
• Marijuana and other recreational drug use
• Eating too close to bedtime
• Drinking fluids too late in the day and needing to urinate during the night
• Sharing a bed
• Sleeping with a partner who snores
• Sleeping in a noisy or not sufficiently dark room

How To Improve Your Quality Of Sleep

You can improve your quality of sleep, and with it your fitness levels, by implementing the following guidelines:

• Have a consistent sleep schedule. Studies suggest that an irregular sleep schedule can reduce sleep quality.
• Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Research shows that noise and temperature have a negative effect on sleep quality.
• Don’t eat too close to bedtime. Research shows eating too close to bed spikes insulin and reduces sleep quality.
• Avoid caffeine in the second half of the day. Research shows that caffeine causes sleep disturbance.
• Avoid alcohol before bed. Studies show that alcohol reduces circulating melatonin and reduces sleep quality.
• Increase light exposure during the day. Research suggests this helps to keep your circadian rhythm healthy.
• Decrease light exposure from screens close to bedtime. Research suggests blue light from screens delays sleep onset.
• Avoid long daytime naps. Napping for extended periods during the day has been shown to reduce nighttime sleep quality.
• Unwind before bed with a bath or shower and perhaps some reading.
• Get regular exercise, but not too close to bedtime. Research suggests that regular exercise improves sleep quality and reduces the time it takes to get to sleep.

How To Improve Fitness Levels

Here are our top tips to improve your fitness levels:

• Get copious amounts of good quality sleep!
• Get plenty of cardiovascular exercise – go for runs and cycles; take the stairs where possible.
• Reduce alcohol intake.
• Stretch daily.
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other wholefoods.
• Do some weight training.
• Sauna bathe regularly.
• Implement an intermittent fasting regime.

Featured image by Claudio_Scott on Pixabay

Calories are units of energy that the body uses as fuel. Food and beverages (apart from water, black coffee and tea, and diet drinks) contain calories. The human body burns a certain amount of calories through physical activity and also simply by being alive – the beating of the heart, activity of the brain and nervous system, and general body processes all require energy.

When we take in more calories than we burn, our body stores the excess calories in fat cells. Essentially, body fat is stored energy. But how exactly do body fat and energy levels relate to one another? Does having more body fat mean more energy? Read on to learn more about how body fat percentage can influence energy levels.

What Is Body Fat Percentage?

Body fat percentage is the percentage of a person’s body mass that is composed of fat. There are six types of body fat:

1. Essential fat is, as the name suggests, essential for life. It plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature, hormone levels, vitamin absorption, and cell structure.
2. White fat cells are the main type of fat cell in the body. White fat is the body’s largest energy reserve. People who are overweight have an overabundance of white fat.
3. Brown fat cells are packed with mitochondria, which burn fatty acids to generate heat and keep the body warm.
4. Beige fat cells function somewhere between white and brown fat cells.
5. Subcutaneous fat is the layer of fat located underneath our skin. It’s made up of white, brown, and beige fat cells.
6. Visceral fat is white fat that is stored around our internal organs.

What Is A Healthy Body Fat Percentage?

A healthy body fat percentage for females younger than 50 is between 14% and 20%. For females over aged 50, a healthy body fat percentage is between 8% and 27%.

A healthy body fat percentage for males younger than 50 is between 8% and 18%. For males aged over 50, a healthy body fat percentage is between 8% and 22%.

Why Is It Important To Have A Healthy Body Fat Percentage?

Having a healthy body fat percentage means you have a better chance of being in good physical and psychological health.

If your body fat percentage is too high, you will have an increased risk of:

• Clinical obesity
• Autoimmune diseases
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

If your body fat percentage is too low, you will have an increased risk of:

• Dangerously low heart rate
• Decreased thyroid hormone production
• Loss of reproductive function
• Hormone imbalances
• Dehydration
• Loss of muscle tissue
• Fragile bones

What Factors Affect Energy Levels?

There are myriad different factors that affect energy levels. Some of the main ones include:

• Body fat percentage
• Your level of aerobic fitness
• The amount of muscle mass on your body
• Whether you have gotten enough good-quality sleep
• How hydrated you are
• Time of day (some people are more energetic in the morning; others are more energetic later in the day)
• Whether you are in a fasted or fed state
• The quality of your diet
• Hormone levels
• Whether your body has all of the vitamins and nutrients it requires

How Body Fat Percentage Can Influence Energy Levels

Research suggests that energy expenditure is higher in people with a higher body fat percentage. This is because individuals with a high body fat percentage tend to spend more energy performing activities as a consequence of higher weight burden. Further research suggests that people with a high body fat percentage “experience fatigue and decreased physical endurance that indicates diminished energy supply in the body”.

This shows that people with a higher body fat percentage require more energy to power their bodies, while at the same time also having a diminished energy supply. In turn, this indicates that people with a higher body fat percentage may feel less energetic than people with a lower body fat percentage.

Why Does Body Fat Percentage Influence Energy Levels?

Research suggests that people can have a high body fat percentage for various reasons, including metabolic events that disturb energy metabolism. These metabolic events cause diminished energy supply and result in people having lower energy levels as the body attempts to save energy to sustain metabolic functioning.

How Does Body Weight Affect Energy Requirements?

A person with a higher body weight will have higher energy requirements because more energy is required to perform activities as a consequence of the higher weight burden.

Does More Body Fat Mean More Energy?

More body fat means that a person is literally carrying around a source of energy in the form of body fat. However, carrying this extra weight will tend to make a person tired because they must expend more energy to move their body, and because their excess body fat is caused, in part, by metabolic events that cause the body to overeat and to have a diminished energy supply.

Does Low Body Fat Affect Energy?

Having an unhealthily low amount of body fat can adversely affect energy levels. Research on bodybuilders who were in contest preparation and whose body fat percentage had dipped below 5% showed that they experienced a decrease in strength and decreased testosterone levels while at these low body fat percentages. Both decreased strength and decreased testosterone levels can have a negative effect on energy levels.

Healthy Body Fat Percentage = Optimal Energy Levels

As we’ve seen, people with an unhealthily high or an unhealthily low level of body fat are likely to experience reduced levels of energy. We can conclude that to give yourself the best chance of having high energy levels, you should strive to maintain a healthy body fat percentage.

How To Optimize Body Fat Percentage

You can optimize body fat percentage through the following methods:

• Caloric restriction
• Intermittent fasting
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Exercise
• Weight training
• Getting enough good-quality sleep

Featured image by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

Getting enough sleep in today’s fast-paced world is a challenge. We have to maintain social, professional, and family lives, take care of household duties, make food, exercise… The list goes on. Because of all these factors, many people are unable to get the quality and quantity of sleep that they need to wake up feeling rested, restored, and ready to take on another day.

What many people don’t consider when they think about their personal sleep habits is the detrimental effects that poor sleep can have on overall health. Several health issues can be tied to a lack of good-quality sleep, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Considering how serious these diseases and conditions can be, it’s important that we think more critically about our sleep. As well as the specific issues mentioned above, sleep can also affect how well your body’s general defense system functions. But how does sleep influence immunity, exactly? Read on for all you need to know about how your quality of sleep can influence immune function.

Sleep quality and immune function

It can be difficult to commit to proper sleep habits if you don’t properly understand how sleep affects your body overall, or how it contributes to keeping you as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

The reason why sleep is so important for immunity is because of the way it ties into the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal clock. Also known as the circadian cycle, this function regulates the body’s sleep–wake cycle – the natural cycle that prepares you for sleep and then wakes you back up again. This natural cycle is crucial in giving the body the time it needs to rest and refresh for the upcoming day.

When considering the circadian rhythm to the immune system, studies have found a symbiotic link between the two. The circadian rhythm plays a role in the processes that need to be constantly regulated for immune cells to be properly produced.

For example, the immune system relies heavily on T-cells, which are produced to fight off pathogens and ward off disease and infection. The circadian rhythm’s role to make sure that T-cells are produced and released into the bloodstream in proper amounts and at the right time so that the body can use them effectively.

Other aspects of the immune system known as cytokines are also heavily influenced by sleep. Cytokines are specific proteins released by immune cells that help with proper immune function. They also aid the body in cell signaling processes, which are important for many other systems.

When it comes to the immune system, these proteins can control the deployment of other immune cells that are needed to fight off infection when a pathogen invades the body. Essentially, they are the alarm system that goes off to alert the immune cells to respond to the threat. When someone gets proper sleep, their cytokines work as they should, and the immune system can fight another day. However, when they don’t, this aspect of immunity is compromised.

How are proper sleep and immunity linked?

Proper sleep and immunity are linked because of how sleep affects the action of immune cells and other processes that are required to alert the immune system to take action against pathogens.

T-cells, which we mentioned above, are designed to fight against pathogens that can reproduce inside the cells of the host they have infected. One particular study examined how T-cells were affected by sleep, and found that it is essential for a person to get enough good quality shut-eye in order for these cells to work. This is because of the way T-cells rely on certain molecules known as integrins.

Integrins provide adhesion that allows T-cells that come into contact with a pathogen to target, attach, and obliterate it. Without proper “stickiness”, this task becomes much harder and some pathogens can evade T-cells entirely. So what does this have to do with sleep?

When the body and brain are at rest, the adhesive capabilities of these molecules are much higher than when you’re awake. During sleep, immune cells also peak in specific areas of the body, such as in the lymph nodes. This peak is due to the hormone known as cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone. Levels of cortisol go up and down at various points of the day. Right before falling asleep, they are lower, and as soon as a person wakes up, levels peak to their highest of the day.

The reason why this is all tied to immunity and T-cells is because high levels of cortisol make integrins less adhesive. This means that if a person isn’t getting proper sleep and their cortisol cycle is out of tune, integrins may not be able to produce the adhesion that T-cells need to fight off pathogens. 

How many hours of sleep is good for the immune system?

Many studies have examined how much sleep each person needs for optimal health, and the agreed-upon number sits anywhere between seven to nine hours. While all people are different, this is typically the time it takes to go through the proper sleep cycles and receive all the benefits that sleep has on the immune system. However, it isn’t just quantity of sleep that’s necessary. Good quality sleep is far more important than the length of time a person spends asleep.

At the end of the day, sleep is vital to your immunity and your overall health, so getting enough good-quality shut-eye is something that everyone should prioritize.

Featured image by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

Sleep is an unavoidable and crucial part of life. When people think of sleep, they often think of recommended amounts as a kind of suggestion – but what they might not know is that if you want to stay healthy, it’s just as important to get proper sleep as it is to eat the right foods. In fact, sleep is right up there with breathing as a vital basic function!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 30% of adults don’t get the sleep that they need for their bodies and brains to function at their best. The type of sleep also needs to be factored in here – a person can get eight hours of sleep every night and still not have the adequate quality of sleep they need. So, even if you’re sleeping the amount you think is necessary, you could be missing out on the benefits of good-quality sleep and not even realize it.

But what is sleep quality, exactly? And what do we know about how quality of sleep can influence energy levels and general health?

What does sleep quality mean?

While sleeping may seem simple, it can actually be quite complex. During sleep, the body goes through various stages. These patterns of sleep are designed to help you get the most out of your shut-eye.

There are five particular stages through which each person cycles throughout the night:

• Stage 1: Stage 1 is light sleep and is the shortest of all the stages, only lasting up to 10 minutes or less. This stage is marked by a slowdown of the mind and body to help prime you for the rest of the sleep cycle.
• Stage 2: Stage 2 is also considered light sleep, but other areas of the body begin to decrease here to prepare you for the rest of the cycle. These areas include eye movement, brain waves, and muscle activity. Brain waves actually spike during this stage, though – it’s thought that these spikes are involved in long-term memory and sensory processing. This stage is responsible for forming memories. 
• Stages 3 and 4: The next two stages are considered deep sleep and are marked by a fully relaxed body and a decrease in breathing rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. During this time, the body works on a cellular level to release hormones designed to regulate the immune system and develop and repair tissue.
• Stage 5: Stage 5 is REM sleep. The REM phase is the dream phase, and during it, the brain and body actually act similarly to when a person is awake. It is thought that during this stage, the brain reactivates to help process and store information.

Sleep quality revolves around the stages of sleep. When a person gets through the full sleep cycle several times a night and then wakes up in light sleep, they’re likely to have experienced good-quality sleep. However, if the cycles are disrupted, or if a person wakes up without going through enough cycles or from deep or REM sleep, this can lead to inadequate sleep quality.

How does sleep affect energy levels?

Sleep and energy often go hand in hand because without adequate sleep, you’re likely to wake up tired and drained. When looking at the stages of sleep, the time where the body replenishes the energy lost throughout the day is stages three and four – the deep sleep portion of the cycle. During this deep sleep stage, the body’s ability to produce an energy molecule known as ATP is enhanced. As mentioned above, deep sleep is also the time when other areas are repaired for the following day.

When the body cycles through sleep properly, all the repair that needs to take place does so, and enough ATP is produced to help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. When cycles are disrupted, you will experience groggy wake-ups that make it feel as though you haven’t gotten enough sleep, even if you’ve spent the entire night in a sleep state. In this case, it’s not the amount of sleep that’s the problem – it’s the poor quality, which has resulted in a lack of energy that was supposed to be produced while you slept.

Does more sleep mean more energy?

As mentioned above, the amount of sleep a person gets does not necessarily play a role in how refreshed they are, because there are sleep cycles that need to be experienced in order for energy to be there upon waking. If you sleep too little, you will not have gone through an adequate number of cycles in the night for your body to prepare for the next day.

The same issues can arise when you sleep too much. This is because sleep cycles depend highly on the internal biological clock that every person has. If you sleep for too long, that clock can be thrown off. On a cellular level, the clock is supposed to tell certain cells how to regulate energy levels, and too much sleep gives those cells misinformation that leads to tiredness.

Why am I so tired after sleeping?

Waking up tired can happen for many reasons. The phenomenon is referred to as sleep inertia and is often characterized by grogginess or drowsiness. If you’re waking up tired, it’s likely because you didn’t get good quality sleep; you didn’t cycle through the stages of sleep properly throughout the night and possibly woke up in the middle of a cycle that had not yet finished.

There are many reasons that sleep cycles may be disrupted, including:

• A disorganized sleep schedule
• Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine
• Using cell phones in bed

There are also specific disorders that are defined by disruption to the sleep cycle, such as irregular sleep–wake syndrome. Other conditions that can disrupt your body’s natural sleep stages include:

• Depression
• Cancer
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Schizophrenia
• Stroke
• Head injuries

When you don’t get good quality sleep, regardless of how many hours you spent in a sleep state, you will wake up tired, groggy, and drained of energy. Because of this, focusing on sleep quality over sleep quantity is the best way to reap all the rewards of a good night’s rest.

Featured image by Bruce Mars on Unsplash

A good night’s sleep involves a lot more than just sleeping for a set number of hours. Typically, it’s advised that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. While the time you spend asleep is a great jumping off-point when you’re looking to get quality sleep, it is nowhere near the entire picture of what is means to have high sleep quality. But what is sleep quality, exactly? And how is it connected to your bodyweight? Read on to learn all you need to know about how quality of sleep can influence weight.

What is sleep quality?

To understand sleep quality, it’s important to first understand what sleep is and everything that goes on within your body when you shut your eyes at night. The process of sleep may seem simple – close your eyes, sleep, wake up! – but it’s much more than that.

Sleep revolves around the body’s circadian rhythm, which is our internal clock. The clock itself follows a 24-hour period and affects the physical and mental changes that go on during that period. Importantly, the circadian rhythm controls your sleep–wake cycle, which determines how you sleep at night and how you awake each morning. It’s tied in with consistent, restorative patterns of sleep, so if your circadian rhythm is off, so is your sleep.

While you’re in the sleep state of the sleep–wake cycle, you go through various stages, each with its own important physiological purpose. The stages are:

• Stage 1: Light Sleep. This stage lasts only five to 10 minutes and primes you to get a good night’s rest by slowing down the body and mind.
• Stage 2: Secondary Light Sleep. This stage causes more changes in the body to prepare you for the next stage. Your eye movements, muscle and brain activity begin to slow. However, brain waves can spike sporadically during this stage, which experts believe helps retain long-term memory.
• Stages 3 and 4: Deep Sleep. These occur when the body is completely relaxed. Your breath rate, blood pressure, and body temperature are all decreased during this stage so that the body can release hormones designed to repair and produce tissue as well as moderate immune function.
• Stage 5: REM Sleep. This is probably one of the most well-known stages because of how often it is talked about. It’s the time in which the body processes and stores information through the act of dreaming.

These stages all have a specific role to play in our quality of sleep, but they are also symbiotic in the sense that a person must go through all the stages three or four times per night to get a good quality sleep.

How are sleep and weight related?

It may seem as though sleep and weight couldn’t possibly be related. After all, you’re not overeating in your sleep or slacking out on that exercise session! However, the two often go hand-in-hand because of the physiological processes that occur within the body during sleep.

The connection between sleep and weight has a lot to do with whether a person gets good quality sleep every night, or whether they continue to burn the midnight oil and avoid the shut-eye their body needs to be rested for the following day.

Recent research has found that sleep can play a role in obesity as well as during weight loss journeys. When looking at this from a sleep quality standpoint, the length of sleep as well as how “good” it is are both factors in weight. 

How does bad sleep affect your metabolism?

Your metabolism is the process that turns the food you eat into energy. It also provides cells with energy they need to complete their basic functions. During sleep, the body’s metabolic rate, or the rate at which it burns calories for energy, is reduced by roughly 15%.

Some may draw the conclusion that because you’re burning fewer calories during sleep, you may be able to mitigate this by sleeping less during the night. However, the opposite can be true.

Even though you burn fewer calories during the night, if you don’t spend enough time in good quality sleep, your metabolism can actually malfunction when you are awake, leading to issues that can either drive weight gain or slow weight loss. This is because of how sleep can affect glucose as well as insulin sensitivity. When people do not get proper sleep on a regular basis, their body’s ability to use glucose stores effectively is hindered, as is their insulin response.

Does quality of sleep affect weight?

When looking at sleep in relation to weight loss programs, research has found that people who get better sleep on a regular basis are more likely to have weight loss success over those who don’t. This is likely because of the aforementioned effects that sleep has on the function of the metabolism.

What’s more is that when people are losing weight, they are often subject to muscle mass loss as well. However, if you incorporate good-quality sleep into your weight loss plan, studies have shown that you are more likely to lose more fat while preserving your muscle mass. 

To sum up: while not getting enough good-quality sleep can be harmful to various areas of your health, it can also be harmful to your waistline.

Featured image by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash