Previously I have touched on how important sleep is to fat loss, health and recovery. Now I want to explain this in more detail.

Sleep and rest are just as important as exercise and nutrition. We recover as we sleep. If you are not getting adequate sleep your body will not recover, which means you will not be able to put the effort into exercise, work or anything else. But, if you get your sleep cycle right then everything else will fall into place.

Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can cause many problems, including headaches, poor recovery from exercise, neck pain, lack of focus on work tasks… and many more.

Your sleep cycle is called your Circadian Cycle. The Circadian Cycle is a natural physiological cycle of about 24 hours that persists even in the absence of external cues: LIGHT being a big factor in this.

If light stimulates your skin or eyes, your brain and hormonal system will think it is morning – reaction to this is known as cortisol release.

There’s that cortisol word again – remember, it is the hormone that is released in response to stress and prepares the body for activity. But it also causes your body to hang on to body fat, especially around the middle.

So, when planning a good night’s sleep think about this: do you have light sources in your bedroom that, in a lighter sleep phase, could stimulate cortisol?

Even the light of an alarm clock could trigger an awake response: sleep in 100 per cent darkness.

A natural cycle our bodies should follow is in line with the sun: wind down and go to sleep around 10-10.30pm then wake at about 6am. Our bodies’ physical and mental activity accelerates between 6am and 9am, making this the best time to exercise and do paperwork. This is when our cortisol levels are at their highest, so use this to your advantage.

Here are a few points to follow for better quality sleep to help you feel GREAT throughout the day: Go to bed at 10pm with no TV, laptop or phone. Sleep by 10.30pm, maybe read a fiction book – no study books! Don’t try to learn anything at this time.

Dim the lights in the evening. Try and turn off everything you don’t need. Keep light levels low or have candle light or a small lamp whilst watching TV, then nothing at bed time.

Sleep in 100 per cent darkness – not even the light of the alarm clock Keep electrical items away from you Avoid stimulants after lunchtime – no caffeine, no sugar.

Drink lots of water – maintain a good hydration – if dehydrated the body responds with a stress reaction – cortisol.

Exercise, ideally in the morning, so as not to raise that cortisol level in the evening. But if this is not possible then please… just exercise!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding this article or anything else which is fitness and nutrition related.