Paul Jensen, Jr.
Do you wake-up feeling tired, not refreshed
and unable to function until you had your morning coffee? Believe it or not,
this is not normal. Our body has to cope with more types of stress today
than any other time in our existence.
Today, we live in a 24-hour world. We can travel across time zones to any location in the world with relative ease. We enjoy late-night entertainment and take on 2nd jobs that have us working well into the morning. Unfortunately, our bodies are not designed to function on little sleep and high stress levels day after day week after week, month after month, if at all (1).
Our body is very sensitive to circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are biological rhythms that occur about every 24 hours in every bodily function (5). The circadian rhythm we are focusing on is the body’s daily alteration between activity and rest, waking and sleeping.
We all have experienced the difference between a good and bad night’s sleep. However, few understand what is happening during a good night’s sleep that makes such a difference? Our hormonal, immune, and nervous system, big players in regeneration, are greatly influenced by circadian rhythms (2, 3, 4). Therefore we must adhere to our circadian rhythms to get that “good night’s sleep”.
An ideal time to get to sleep is between 10:00-10:30pm (2, 3, 4). This is when our body begins its regeneration processes. The body focuses on physical regeneration between 10:00pm and 2:00am. The body focuses its healing energies on psychogenic (mental) regeneration between 2:00am and 6:00am (2, 3, 4).
Sleep disturbances may contribute to chronic pain of muscle/joint nature, and/or chronic headaches, and/or hormonal disorders (2, 3, 5). You can optimize your sleep and regeneration by not consuming stimulants such as ice cream, coffee, expresso, and/or sport drinks 5 hours before you go to bed (3, 5. The caffeine and sugar contained in these foods disrupt your body’s ability to achieve deep sleep (3).
References:
1. Caveglia, Rico. Ageless Living: The Ultimate Lifestyle…Vitality, Longevity, Abundance. La Jolla, CA: Ageless Living Publications, 2000: 81-85.
2. Chek, Paul. “Success Series Part II: Do Your Homework and Know Your Client”. Personal Training on the Net. Online. http://www.personaltraining.com.au Internet. 11-8-01.
3. Flatten Your Abs Forever Lecture: Secrets of Abdominal Training by Paul Chek. A C.H.E.K Institute Production, 2001.
4. Maund, Chris. Sleep, Biological Rhythms and Electromagnetic Fields – Part I and II. C.H.E.K Institute. Online. http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles. Internet. 9-17-01.
5. Smolensky, Michael and Lamberg, Lynne. The Body Clock Guide to Better Health:
6. How to Use Your Body’s Natural Clock to Fight Illness and Achieve Maximum Health. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2001: 66-77.
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Mission Statement: Desk Jockey Fitness is a wellness facilitation center, teaching our clients how to feel good—both in body and in mind. Our clients’ successes are based on their strong desire to restore their self-confidence, to improve their body image, and to live productive, pain-free lives. Our clients provide the determination; Desk Jockey Fitness provides the tools in a private, non-judgmental setting. We accomplish measurable results through a holistic mix of functional exercise instruction, nutritional counseling, and lifestyle coaching, a dash of motivation and copious doses of accountability. Looking for a “new you?” It’s time to discover the Desk Jockey difference.
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Desk Jockey Fitness
10700 Kettering Drive
Charlotte, North Carolina 28226
704-541-0041
