You’ve been working hard on your StrongBoard consistently, and you’ve also been eating super foods while avoiding unhealthy junk food. Yet, you still feel like you could be seeing more results. What could be in your way? If you’ve been eating right and exercising, then the answer is sleep. Sleep is the bedrock on which all health and fitness goals rest on. Sleep’s importance cannot be understated. Think of sleep, exercise and diet as three points on a circle. All are tied together, so if something changes with one, it affects the other two.

How you sleep affects the quality of your workout, and how your body recovers. Willpower is also greatly affected, so it can be much harder to resist that donut on four hours of sleep than a full night’s rest. Getting a good night’s rest will have you feeling motivated and inspired to workout instead of groggy and dreading your workout. The good thing about eating right and exercising is that it improves your ability to fall and stay asleep.

How much rest should you be getting? It varies depending on the person, but between seven to ten hours, with eight to nine hours being average. A dark, quiet, cool room is optimal. Keep exercising and eating right, you should be well on your way to a good night’s rest.