If you haven’t noticed by my past few posts, right now is a busy time for me.  With the amount I am working, the stress levels that come with work deadlines, and the lack of sleep; it is no wonder I am worn out.  Couple that with the fact that I really don’t like to miss workouts and will get up to get my butt to the gym, even if I haven’t slept enough; and you have a recipe for disaster.

 Of all people out there, I know how important sleep is.  When all is right with the world, I get to bed around 10pm and get up at 5am.  When all is really right with the world, I’ll go to bed at 9pm.  But when stress kicks in and I don’t get home from work until 8 pm or later, I end up staying up until 11pm or; dare I say it, midnight.  I can keep this going (the stress and staying up that late 1-2 times/week) for about 2 weeks and then it catches up with me like a bad hangover.  Add on a lack of weekends because I am working, and it gets really ugly. 

 Last week was my breaking point.  I ended up taking 2 rest days instead of 1 (oh the horror) and pushed the snooze button more times than should be legal.  Despite repeated conversations with friends and family that I needed to take time to rest, I kept pressing forward.  Thankfully, I completed three large projects last week which allowed my 80-hour weeks to slow down to a 55-hour week.  My mind and body must have sensed the ability to rest and took full advantage. 

 But prior to that rest, I have to set the tone with my Friday and Saturday workouts.  On Friday I had every intention of getting up (like I normally do) and getting to the gym.  That didn’t happen.  Instead, I went to the gym after work all set to get in a lift AND cardio.  Well, half-way through my lift I could barely move.  I started trying to try and figure out ways to cut the lift short.  The very thought of cardio was a distant memory.  I managed to finish my lift and made it home to bed.  Unfortunately, I was still high-strung from the weeks of stress.  My brain couldn’t stop trying to think of something to stress over and I didn’t get to bed until 11:30. 

 Cut to Saturday morning.  Granted I slept for 7 hours, but that clearly wasn’t enough.  I woke up and dragged myself to Jodi’s Beyond Bootcamp class.  Have you ever gone to do a burpee or a squat jump and no matter how hard you try, you cannot get your body to move quickly?  It feels like you are moving through quicksand.  Well, that is how I felt.  I got through the workout, went out for breakfast and was home on the couch by 11:30am. 

 I did not move from the couch except to go to the grocery store and get food.  Other than that, I had a date with my DVR, curtains drawn, no lights on, snuggled under a blanket, in and out of consciousness, for the remainder of my day.  I was fast asleep at 9 and slept until 9 the next morning.  Now that was the recovery and sleep I needed.  However, I never should have let it get that far. 

 The way the past three weeks should have gone down is a different story.  I should have adhered to a strict bedtime.  I should have allowed myself extra rest days if necessary (although I must say the gym tends to set the tone for my day) or at least eased up on the workouts.  I should have built in extra time to decompress.  But we live and learn.  And since there are still 7 more weeks until the end of this tax season, I will have plenty of time to implement this strategy. 

 The point, however, is that there comes a time when you are so worn down that your workouts are pointless.  Your returns diminish to the point o being nonexistent.  That is where I was last week and knowing that, I can’t even worry about taking more than one rest day.  I had nothing to give and pushing myself any harder would do nothing but hurt me.  Those are the times we need to realize it is time to say uncle.

If you are anything like me (and Lord have mercy if you are!), you are one active son of a gun.  You most likely do more in one day than the average person does in 3 days.  Knowing this, sleep may not always be your priority.  And if this is the case, you are really doing yourself a disservice.

Honestly, I can almost say with some level of certainty that the majority of us know that we should get a good amount of sleep every night and how truly important it is to our success.  And if you truly do not know and are sitting there still scratching your head as to what I am talking about, here are some quick facts for you:

*        You do not grow, lose weight or repair muscle tissue while you are awake—you do it when you sleep.

*        You eat more junk when you are tired—whether you want to or not—due to elevated cortisol levels.

*        You have better cognitive function after a full night’s rest.

*        Your workouts are better.  Your diet is better.  Your mood is better.  Must I go on?

Knowing all these things, I am not going to lecture you about the health benefits of sleep.  Instead, I am going to appeal to your sense of vanity and tell you what you are missing out on when you do not get a full 8 hours of sleep a night:

Ø  Tight abs

Ø  Tight butt

Ø  Bigger shoulders

Ø  Leaner physique

Ø  Better perf4mance

Then, I am going to proceed to yell at you to go to bed.  No need to beat around the bush!

I already know what you are going to say because I used to say it to so let me just beat you to the punch, “But Jodi, I don’t need that much sleep.  I function fine on 5 to 6 hours a night.  When I sleep more than that, I am actually tired.”  I knew you were going to say that!  However, it’s not true.  You really do need about 8 hours per night—if not more—if you truly want to Look Good Naked.  You can get away with 6 to 7 for a while, but true success comes from 7 to 9 hours every night consistently.  Having one random 8 hour night only increases your fatigue because you begin the process of healing (i.e. catching up on the lost sleep) and then cut it short before you truly finish the task.  You then believe because you are more tired that you slept “too much” and somehow you are now suffering for it.

I say this all the time but it bears repeating, if you go on vacation and you lose weight, you are not getting enough sleep.  If you take a week off from the gym and you lose weight, you are not getting enough sleep.  If you feel like Night of the Living Dead after a full weekend of sleeping, you are not getting enough sleep.   I am sure right now that you are reading saying to yourself, “Thanks Capt. Obvious, I know I am not getting enough sleep!  But…”

There are no “buts”.  I have spent the past 4 years of my life saying BUT.  There is no time like the present.  At this point you are a hamster in a wheel.  All I can hear is George Jetson yelling, “Jane, stop this crazy thing!”.  Remember when I spoke about ‘I want what I want’…here is a perfect case.  You will not achieve what you want to achieve without going to sleep so…

ü  Create a schedule that truly works and is realistic.  If you cannot make it happen right now, don’t write it down.  This isn’t the Make A Wish Foundation so be honest and forthcoming with your daily schedule.

ü  Set real boundaries that you will honor.  If you know you have to watch a certain show or go to a certain class and etc., don’t try to cut that out and think you will stick with it.  You won’t!

ü  Do not try to radically change your schedule.  Life is habitual.  Trust me, you won’t do it if it causes you mental stress just trying to remember all that you have changed.

ü  Cut the stimulants at night: caffeine, thought provoking shows, bill paying (oy vey)…  Start winding down at least an hour before you want to go to bed.  Invest in some fuzzy slippers.  Buy a Snuggie (I’m obsessed).  Put on some Jammies.  Get comfy and you will knock out.  Better yet, simulate your desk at work in your home somewhere and sit at it.  I give you 5 min. and you’ll be out! J

ü  Try audio books.  I know folks say reading puts them out.  Not me.  You want to knock me out?  Have me try to concentrate on listening to an audio book.  There is something about listening to someone blather on and on about a topic without being able to see them or read the words that just knock you right out.  It’s a shame!   

It took me a long time before I was truly honest with myself as to how important sleep was to my everyday bodily functions.  My brain power alone improved by leaps and bounds just by getting 8 hours of sleep every night.  This is not a lecture folks, this is a demand.  And this is not a fluffy, “How sleep can benefit you…” type of article.  This is me yelling at you with my finger pointing in your face saying, “Stop lifting more!  Stop doing more cardio!  Stop trying to cut your cals!  Stop looking for the next best supplement to increase your run time!  Your biggest hold up is your lack of sleep—not your program!  Go to bed and make a hot body, will ya?”