Get Some Sleep!
With Chris Freytag, Chairman of the Board, American Council on Exercise (ACE)
I know it’s Workout Wednesday, but I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss something too many of us are slacking on when it comes to trying to follow a healthy lifestyle: catching those much-needed zzzzzz’s.
If you woke up today after a less-than-restful night, you’re not alone. Here are a couple of eye-opening facts from the Better Sleep Council:
- 73% of Americans are only getting seven hours of sleep or less per night during the work week
- 70 million Americans are affected by sleep problems
Today, my two professional worlds collided and I was able to learn about the effects of not getting enough shut-eye from one of the country’s most respected health and fitness experts. I was thrilled to work with Chris Freytag as the producer on her satellite media tour where she discussed the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. She also revealed some interesting results from research conducted by Beautyrest to find out just how much sleep we’re missing out on across the country. Check out the video below to see my one-on-one interview with Chris.
(The interview will also be featured in the upcoming July edition of “Health & Home Report” – another element in my production life for West Glen Communications, Inc.)
Surprisingly in the Beautyrest survey, New York didn’t live up to its name as the “city that never sleeps.” It came in at number 22 on the “Top 30 US Cities Most In Need of Recharging” hit list. (Not so surprising? Las Vegas came in at number one.) Click here to find if you live in one of the country’s sleepiest cities!
Remember, if you’re striving to enjoy a healthier lifestyle, make sure to add getting more zzzz’s to your overall plan to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Posted on June 13, 2012, in Fitness, Health, Nutrition and tagged Americans & Sleep, Beautyrest, Better Sleep Council, Chris Freytag, Health & Home Report, Laura DeAngelis, Personal Fitness, The Benefits of Sleep, West Glen Communications, Workout Wednesday. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
lauralovesfitness 
Awesome post it is so essential we get the rest we need to help us recover from the days daily stresess! We try and do the right things by eating right and exercising but then neglect the sleep we need to recuperate! When we workout we don’t build muscle we break it down the way we repair and recover is by providing the body with the proper nutrients and by getting a good nights sleep! It’s a total domino effect that i believe begins not at the strart of the day but at the end of the day by getting a good nights rest!
Thanks for weighing in, John! I like your mention of the “domino effect” that starts with getting rest at night and waking up ready to tackle the day with a good workout and making healthy food choices. The better we feel, the better we want to be about making sure we keep feeling good, right? Have a GREAT day!
Thanks for your thoughtful article Laura! And may I share another tip for insomniacs among us: the natural hormone melatonin in *small* doses is all you need to recover your sleep. Check out this article from the MIT Newsroom: When I can’t get to sleep, or wake up in the middle of the night and lay awake, I take a little sliver of a melatonin pill, and within a short time I’m back in dreamland — and I wake up clear-headed. The key is in the small dose. This discovery has changed my (sleeping) life…!
THANK you, Claire for the tip! I have been a fan of melatonin for quite some time! I’m glad it works for you – and yes, small doses are important. (To help avoid any grogginess later.) Glad you enjoyed the post and interview. Here’s to a good rest tonight!