In this busy world there never seems to be enough time in a day, and far too often sleep is one thing that usually gets sacrificed to allow us more time. There has been a growing trend in the number of people working out, shaping up, and eating correctly, but getting the appropriate amount of sleep doesn’t seem to be on that list of trends! Crazy, yes, it sure is.

Unfortunately, all three of those variables go hand in hand (working out, eating right, with enough sleep) and if you want to get in better shape (look and feel your best) then you need to get the proper rest to allow your body repair and renew time.

The average adult requires 7-9 hours of good, uninterrupted sleep in order to perform their best in daily functions. When you fail to get 7-9 hours of sleep you’re more likely to contract a variety of major illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, according to recent studies.

Furthermore your muscles grow the most when you’re asleep, so if you aren’t getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night, your muscles aren’t going to recover and thus, they won’t grow! For anyone who’s overweight and looking to shape up, well, there have been recent studies linking obesity to lack of sleep, possibly, by disrupting hormones which regulate appetite.

I should note, however…there are some scientists who disagree with these studies and more data is needed to be 100% sure. Although either way, most experts agree that increase in risk for disease seems to kick in when people get less then 6-7 hours of sleep a night.

Lack of sleep can also lead to: depression, infection, accidents, and negative variations in hormone levels, blood pressure, and metabolism.

Now I’m not saying that if you work out and eat right (but fail to sleep enough) that you won’t improve your health, but in order to be your healthiest you need to be equipped with the appropriate amount of sleep, notice how many times I’ve mentioned this now–that means you should memorize the importance of healthy sleep!

Folks, remember…this stuff is the building block that improves and maintains proper health throughout your entire life…until obviously, death becomes! Don’t sweat it, ’cause we’re all going down someday, so relax, get loose, get fit and shake the fat!

With sleep, of course.