FAQs
How does sleep quality play a part in weight management?
Sleep plays a crucial role in weight loss and overall health. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol, which is linked to increased hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods. This can cause overeating and weight gain. On the other hand, adequate sleep helps regulate hormones that control hunger and fullness, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet and achieve weight loss goals.
Getting enough sleep also helps boost your metabolism, which is essential for weight loss. When you're well-rested, your body is better able to use energy efficiently, allowing you to burn calories more effectively. Additionally, lack of sleep can reduce your energy levels and motivation, making it harder to stay active and engage in physical activity.
By prioritizing sleep, you can give your body the time it needs to recover and recharge, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet and exercise routine.
By getting enough rest and sleeping well, you can regulate hormones, boost metabolism, and increase energy levels, making it easier to achieve your weight loss goals and maintain a healthy weight over time.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses can last from a few seconds to several minutes and occur several times per hour. The lack of oxygen during these pauses can cause a person to wake up briefly, leading to disrupted sleep and feelings of tiredness during the day. Sleep apnea can have serious health consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. There are two main types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). OSA is caused by a physical blockage of the airway, while CSA is caused by a failure of the brain to send proper signals to the muscles responsible for breathing.
Does cardiovascular exercise help people recover from sleep apnea?
Yes, cardiovascular exercise can help individuals recover from sleep apnea. Regular exercise has been shown to help reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea by improving cardiovascular fitness and reducing body weight. By increasing heart rate and improving blood circulation, exercise can help improve the functioning of the respiratory system, reducing the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. Regular exercise can also help regulate sleep patterns, leading to better quality sleep and reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea
Why are REM and SWS important for athletic and fitness performance?
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and SWS (Slow Wave Sleep) are two important stages of sleep that play a crucial role in athletic recovery.
SWS, also known as deep sleep, is the stage of sleep where the body repairs and regenerates muscle tissue. During this stage, growth hormone is released, which is important for muscle recovery and repair. This stage of sleep is also crucial for repairing the damage caused by intense physical activity, allowing the body to be ready for the next training session.
REM sleep, on the other hand, is essential for mental recovery. During this stage, the brain processes and consolidates memories, allowing athletes to improve their skills and techniques. It is also important for regulating mood and reducing stress levels, helping athletes stay focused and motivated.
Adequate amounts of REM and SWS sleep are essential for optimal athletic performance. When athletes don't get enough sleep, they are more likely to suffer from fatigue, muscle soreness, and decreased performance. On the other hand, getting enough restful sleep can help improve athletic performance, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance recovery time.
What is Heart Rate Variability and how does it measure sleep cycles?
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a measure of the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats and can be used to monitor sleep cycles. This non-invasive method uses a heart rate monitor to track changes in heart rate during sleep and provide insights into the quality and duration of different stages of sleep.
HRV can provide information on the different stages of sleep, including REM, SWS, and light sleep. By tracking changes in heart rate and HRV, it is possible to determine which stage of sleep the body is in and how long it has been in that stage. This information can be used to identify patterns in sleep and help diagnose sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
HRV can also provide information on the overall quality of sleep. Higher HRV readings indicate a greater level of physiological relaxation and better sleep quality, while lower HRV readings may indicate poor sleep quality or sleep deprivation. This information can be used to make adjustments to sleep habits and routines to improve sleep quality and promote better overall health.
By tracking HRV, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of your sleep patterns then make informed decisions about how to improve overall health and well-being.
Why does OATC teach how to sleep better?
Simple really, sleep is a trainable factor in and plays a crucial role in athletic performance, especially endurance sports. If an athlete has sleep problems, they won’t be able to perform at their best. On the other hand, boosting and improving sleep can have a powerful effect on athlete results.
The key to testing and understanding sleep is measurement and knowledge of HRV (heart rate variability). HRV and cardiovascular/pulmonary performance is a domain of long-endurance coaching and exercise physiology experts.
HRV has been used in professional and Olympic sports for about two decades and it turns out that the technology used by top athletes is getting more effective and much less expensive. Today, the same systems which cost upwards of $20,000 in 2000, are affordable and comfortable to wear.
By tracking HRV, you can gain valuable insights into their sleep quality, recovery, and overall wellness. Our coaching is designed to give you the knowledge and education to make informed decisions about your training, exercise, lifestyle and recovery.
How do I track HRV?
There are many ways to track HRV. We recommend Whoop as our first choice. If you decide to purchase a whoop device, OATC can offer you a code for discounted price.
Whoop is a popular and well-regarded wearable technology company that specializes in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) tracking and has been adopted by many professional athletes, teams, and sports organizations. Whoop has been used by athletes in a variety of sports, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and track and field, marathon running and military training/operations and space travel to monitor sleep patterns and recovery, improve performance, and prevent injury.
What will I learn in your program or personal coaching?
Google ‘sleep problems’ and you will find a plethora of information, some accurate, some misleading and some urban myths (For instance; the night-time setting on your phone of computer meant to help you sleep better…? Nope. It doesn’t work.)
Also, many people think insomnia, or poor sleep, is something we have, or even a medical problem. Largely, we give ourselves insomnia as a result of what we do or don’t do throughout the days and our lives. Most insomnia can be reversed and the techniques and actions to do so can be taught.
We focus on, and teach ten training modules which have been proven to boost or reduce certain hormones which play a significant role in your physiological state. Within these modules, we also focus on the psychology of sleep problems and using Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) to help you change your mindset and expectations about sleep.
When does a sleep problem become a medical issue?
This is a great question. Insomnia (meaning you regularly have problems sleeping) and Sleep Apnea (frequent disruptions in breathing during sleep) both contribute to poor health and a a higher risk of health problems including cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease.
There are both medical and lifestyle solutions to both problems and at OATC we believe that the athletic/fitness training approach if more successful for most people that the Healthcare system approach. HRV tracking, analysis and coaching has been shown to be more effective than comparable medical treatments including medications which don’t do well to boost REM sleep and come with risks of drug addiction - and devices like CPAP machines which can be quite invasive.
We partner and can recommend medical professionals and healthcare facilities offering sleep testing and solutions. For most people however, similarly to other health problems like pre-diabetes, weight problems, hypertension, stress depression and anxiety… we favor high quality training and education as the first steps in solving these problems. We are in the business of getting and keeping people healthy, preventing illness and keeping as much as possible away from the hospital.
All of our training uses up to date evidence-based and peer-reviewed science. In our own studies, we have found that more has been studied and learned about sleep in the past twenty years than the previous century, yet most of this knowledge has not yet made it’s way in to Healthcare systems.
Our tracking apps work similarly to expensive medical testing and give you both current and historical results so that you can both see your progress, as well as feel more motivated to continue improving - literally giving you a green light to train and live to your full potential, or a yellow or red light if the data shows you are fatigued. We suggest taking a copy of your data when you have a physical exam. It will help your physician to provide recommendations.
How does Whoop compare to Apple watch?
If you’re looking to track your sleep, then WHOOP whoops Apple Watch hands down. It’s secret is the quality of the sensors and its algorithms. Apple Watch does track sleep duration, but it has no way to track sleep quality, or sleep cycle like WHOOP.
Apple Watch also does not track anything about recovery and assumes you’re 100 when you wake up. WHOOPS specialty and niche is recovery. WHOOPS intelligence interface will tell you how much sleep you need and even what time to go to bed, in order to have the most optimal recovery for the next day.