Fat, fifty and the need for sleep

When we last left this topic, I was sharing my methods for goal setting and the important role this played in my change journey. In this post I will talk about one of the elements in the "daily trifecta", and perhaps the most important element in setting yourself up for success. This item is sleep.

Sleep - The base pillar of the daily trifecta

Sleep is a critical item in your daily routine and perhaps as important as eating properly. Early on in the fast, I was almost incentivized to go to bed early every night. The combination of being a bit tired from the lack of food and the fact that I wanted to STOP thinking about food, caused me to go to bed early at night. I found each night's sleep amazing and re-energized my body. After a few days of this, I would wake in the mornings with a clear head and a tremendous amount of energy. Gone was that listless, drowsy feeling that I had felt on most days.

A new habit

With this realization in place, I needed to make a change after the fast that would allow me to maintain this momentum. I made sleep an important part of my daily routine and prioritized sleep above all else. I also started tracking my sleep scores more closely on my watch and added this as an important measure to track in my daily journal (see making it stick).

Why didn't I think of this before?

I am over 50 years old, and although I have heard about the importance of sleep again and again, like most adults I simply ignored this important habit. I had never actually focused on getting sleep, alternating between oversleeping and getting too few hours of sleep. Although I would train heavily biking, running, and swimming, I would often eat unhealthy meals, stay up late, and generally not take care of myself. It took a 5 day fast to truly understand the impact that sleep could have on my wellbeing.

The result - Sleep as the base for productivity

After incorporating a proper sleep schedule into my life, I found that it made improvements in many areas of my life. First, I found that getting up early in the morning allowed me to take advantage of my productivity peak, being 100% focused and well-rested. I was able to accomplish many items that I had been putting off, simply blaming lack of time. Secondly, my recovery from long training sessions improved and I found that I could train harder and be ready for the next session. Lastly, I found that I was generally a happier person and that others found me to be less moody.

Conclusion

Sleep is the pillar for setting a proper base to complete your daily trifecta. If you are not prioritizing sleep, do so now and you will find that you are an entirely new person. Time to get in a swim in the lake, but I promise to share more of the daily trifecta soon.