And that balance comes from your body being able to regulate glucose, hunger cravings, restlessness, melatonin and so much more.

But unfortunately, we have been groomed to think we can do whatever we want and it won’t affect our health.

This is a lie!!

Calories in and calories out are not the only deciding factor in weight gain or loss.

Sleep affects several hormonal and metabolic processes that keep your overall metabolism in homeostasis or balance.

So to improve your lifestyle, you want to get as much sleep as possible which will benefit your mind, body, and spirit.

The K.I.S.S. ~ Get as much sleep as possible!

And this is not an easy task. I have been battling this for decades. Some because of over-commitment. Others because of procrastination. And what’s left over is just a crazy schedule always.

This is real life for me. Most of the time, I only get 4-5 hours of continual sleep at a time. So every night, I fall short of 3-4 hours.

Now, I am built differently as my family would say. But that doesn’t mean that sleep is not important. Just because you can stay up late, or have over-committed to people, doesn’t mean you should stay up.

Past your bedtime is REAL not for just children, but for young and old adults alike.

You and I need sleep. That is a universal truth. But what we tend to overlook is that sleep is a learned behavior.

Well obviously, we know I failed.

Instead of dragging yourself through the day, learn to improve your slumber. Get as much sleep as possible.

1. Set a regimented sleep and wake schedule. And of course, you want to be as consistent as possible. Deviating can raise insulin resistance. And if you are wanting to lose weight, the more you sleep consistently, the greater chance you have of keeping the fat and pounds off.
2. Create a light routine. You want to get sunshine as soon as you can after waking up. Because your sleep habits are affected by light and darkness. So go to the light when you are awake. And start to turn off the lights a little prior to bed in order to stimulate melatonin and induce your sleepy feeling. Lights out!
3. Eat dinner at a reasonable hour. The later you eat dinner, the harder it is for your body to understand that bedtime is around the corner. It’s like giving a child cotton candy and 15 minutes later you tell them to go to bed. Not gonna work! Try to eat between 6 pm and 8 pm. But keep in mind your specific sleep schedule. You can alter that if you need to. Give yourself 2 or more hours prior to going to bed when you’ve eaten. You don’t want what you ate to end up in the storage closet.

Sleep for adults needs to be between 7-8 hours a night. And some may need more, but few need less.

Don’t let your sleep wreck your healthy living. You matter!!

So what you do and how much energy you have daily depends on your sleep.

Start working on those sleeping habits. Even though it’s summer, stick to what serves your mind, body, and spirit.

“Train for life. Love your journey!“