Why Is Sleep So Important?

One of the three questions I always ask my clients is, 'How much sleep did you get' Sleep is crucial to muscle recovery. Studies are finding that catching up on sleep may be more important than you think.

While you are asleep your body is working hard to repair, recover, build, strengthen, grow and defend. As you catch some Zzzz's your body is turning all that hard work from your your training during the day into progress. Hormones are released that help repair tissue. So you know all those bicep curls you are doing? Yeah.. you won't be able to reach your bodies full potential without proper sleep.

Like a factory, several processes occur all at once and involve multiple systems. For example: The brain “cleans house.”

Cerebral spinal fluid flushes through the brain, cleaning out waste products from cells. Breathing and heart rates slow and blood pressure decreases. So if your body is sleep deprived, these valuable and necessary processes are disrupted. 'The body then cannot adequately repair tissues and blood vessels, produce and release hormones efficiently, or remove waste. If sleep suffers, there are systemic effects.'

ACE Fitness The Power of Sleep by Dr. Erin Nitschke