The Power of Sleep

The power of sleep really should never be underestimated, especially the impact it has on our health and wellbeing.

Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in 2022 suggested poor sleep may undermine attempts to maintain weight loss - better and longer sleep patterns could help keep weight off.

Participants in the study who slept for less than six hours a night were found to have, on average, increased their BMI by 1.3 points after a year compared with those who slept for more than six hours. The study also found about two hours of vigorous physical activity a week could help maintain better sleep.

To compound this, a study found more than a third of adults in the UK and the US do not get enough sleep due to a host of factors including stress, computers, smart devices, and the blurring of work-life boundaries.

The ability to fall asleep is also partially dependent on a drop in body temperature (see image below to understand more). Taking Glycine has been shown in studies (and in me personally!) to promote sleep by achieving slow-wave sleep (SWS) more quickly. During this important stage of sleep the body actively secretes growth hormone to heal muscles and skin. The glycine results in a vasodilation of blood vessels = lowering of core body temperature! 

So what’s the take away? Your sleep matters - put down your phone, switch off the TV, relax and take the sleep your body needs.