You're eating well. You're working out. You're tracking your food.
But nothing's changing.
Your body feels stuck. Your energy is tanked. Your cravings are out of control.
And you're wondering: What am I doing wrong?
Here's what nobody's telling you:
If you're sleeping 5 hours a night, it's almost impossible to hit your fitness goals.
I know. You're busy. You've got a million things on your plate. You stay up late to finally get some "me time" after everyone else goes to bed.
I get it.
But here's the hard truth: sleep isn't optional when it comes to your hormones.
When you don't get enough sleep, here's what happens inside your body:
Your cortisol (stress hormone) skyrockets. High cortisol tells your body to hold onto fat—especially around your midsection. It also makes you crave sugar and carbs like crazy.
Your hunger hormones get out of whack. Lack of sleep increases ghrelin (the hormone that makes you hungry) and decreases leptin (the hormone that tells you you're full). So you're constantly starving, even when you've eaten enough.
Your insulin sensitivity drops. This means your body has a harder time using the food you eat for energy. Instead, it stores it as fat.
Your thyroid slows down. Your metabolism takes a hit. Everything feels harder. You feel more tired, more sluggish, more stuck.
And if you're in perimenopause or menopause? All of this gets even worse because your estrogen and progesterone are already fluctuating.
Here's the thing:
You can eat perfectly. You can crush your workouts. You can hit your macros every single day.
But if you're only sleeping 5 hours a night, your body is in survival mode—not transformation mode.
Sleep is when your body recovers. It's when your muscles repair. It's when your hormones regulate. It's when your metabolism resets.
Without it, you're fighting an uphill battle.
So what can you do?
Start by prioritizing 7-8 hours of sleep. I know that sounds impossible right now. But here's how to start:
- Set a bedtime and stick to it (yes, even on Saturday like today)
- Create a nighttime routine that signals to your body it's time to wind down
- Put your phone away at least 30 minutes before bed
- Make your room cool, dark, and quiet
It might mean saying no to things. It might mean setting boundaries with your time. It might feel uncomfortable at first.
But if you want your body to change, this is non-negotiable.
You can't out-train, out-eat, or out-supplement bad sleep.
Your body needs rest to do the work you're asking it to do.
So if you've been doing everything "right" but still feel stuck—start here.
Get your sleep dialed in. Your hormones (and your results) will thank you.
XOXO,
Nikkiey
P.S. If you want more help on upping your sleep game, I interviewed Dr. Peter Martone on the best ways to fix your sleep. You can listen to it here.
No comments:
Post a Comment