We are all well aware of how important sleep is to us. Think back to how you feel after a lousy nights sleep and that will instantly tell you that sleep is vital.

Sleep is our chance to recharge our batteries and repair our bodies in preparation for the next day. However, when it comes to fitness, getting adequate sleep is an important part of physical health. So how does sleep affect exercise?

When we sleep, our energy levels are restored. After a long day at work, we often feel too tired to do anything but after a night of restful sleep, we are ready to go and do it all again. This proves that sleep is extremely important to the way we perform and that can be said when it comes to sleep and exercise for fitness.

Research has found that sleep governs the way in which we do things. Therefore, undertaking tasks such as reading or listening music are still relatively easy. However, when it comes to doing something active, it is a completely different story.

When you train on no sleep, you feel fatigued sooner and any form of exercise will feel harder, eventually making you feel as though you need to exert more energy to finish the workout.

So, the next time you are suffering from sleep, you can expect to underperform when it comes to your fitness and working out. The thing is, you are not just physically drained when suffering from a lack of sleep. When you are sleep deprived, you also suffer mentally and so, when you would normally have the mental strength to push through the hard sessions, your mind simply wants your body to give up. From a scientific perspective, this is down to glycogen, which is the energy that is stored in your muscles. This energy helps you to power through workouts and when glycogen runs low, the muscles begin to tire. However, when you are working out on no sleep, the muscles will become fatigued way before the glycogen runs out.

Exercise and fitness can take many different forms, whether it is running, walking, jogging or simply going to the gym, good night sleep is what your body needs to perform at its best. As mentioned, sleep is also the time that your body repairs itself and your body certainly needs that after you have worked out. If you do work out on a lack of sleep then your body will not be adequately prepared or recovered. This means that exercising feels harder and over time, the problems and effects will become worse.

Sleep will improve your performance

The science is out there and so, it is clear to see that sleep really can wreck your fitness plans. Everyone is different and that means that they need different amounts of sleep to function. Despite this, we can all suffer from a lack of sleep and that can really stop your body from progressing and getting the most from your work out sessions.

So, if you want to see results, then when you do suffer from a lack of sleep, it is probably best to skip the gym and relax at home. Then, once your body is fully recharged, you can get back into the swing of things and begin performing once again.