Kickoff to 2020 Weekly Challenge #4

Congratulations to those that stuck to the week 3 challenge and did not eat out all week and cut out processed foods. I hope you feel better physically, and saved some money! Its’s amazing what a home-cooked meal can do for your body and wallet.

Be sure to log you points TODAY in the Wodify app to make sure you get points!

Week #4 Challenge

I think the week 4 challenge will be easier for some people and more rewarding. The challenge is to “get all those Zzzz’s”, which means to get all 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night this week! For some, this might mean you need to adjust your sleep schedule a little bit, by either going to be earlier or waking up.

Why is it important to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night?

There has been a lot of research done around sleep and what is the recommended amount of time you should get each night. Getting 7 to 8 hours each night:

• Helps to manage your appetite – When you are sleep deprived, your brain will release chemicals to signal hunger.
• Sleep helps to maintain your immune system – When you sleep, your immune system releases compounds called cytokines. Some cytokines have a protective effect on your immune system by helping it to fight inflammation, including inflammation due to infection. Without enough sleep, you may not have enough cytokines to keep you from getting sick. Other components of the immune system, like antibodies and white blood cells, can be reduced over time without enough sleep.
• Improves concentration and productivity – a study found that not getting enough sleep each night can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication, resulting in decreased concentration and productivity.

While getting enough sleep is important, it is also important to avoid oversleeping. Believe it or not, oversleeping (over 9 hours a night) is not good for your overall health. Here are some of side effects:

• Weight gain
• Headaches
• Back pain
• Premature aging

Commit this week to getting 8 hours of sleep a night and feel the difference!

For more about the 9 week challenge, go here!