Sleep
Sleep is the most important factor in our recovery. Especially for people who regularly undertake high intensity exercise, without sleep the body cannot recover adequately. The general recommendation for sleep is 7-9 hours per night, but work, kids and other commitments make it hard to find the time for that much. I don’t think I know a single person that actually gets 9 hours of sleep every single night. That being said, anything under 6 hours can be detrimental so if you’re someone that gets less than 6 on a regular basis, I would reassess and really try to prioritize getting that extra hour of sleep in.
Sleep is not all about quantity, the quality of our sleep matters also, so here are some tips to get the most out of our sleep every night.
Set a sleep schedule and stick to it, even on the weekends. The more consistent your sleep schedule, the easier you will find it to get to sleep and wake up in the morning.
Turn off phones and TV’s at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Minimise lights in the house an hour before bedtime, dimmers if you have them, candles are also a good option as they can be relaxing.
Make your bedroom as dark as possible when you go to sleep. (Light is disruptive)
If possible, set the temperature of your room to something quite cool. According to the national sleep foundation, around 18 degrees is best. A fan is also a good option.
A smart watch that tracks sleep is also a good investment as it can give you some insights into your sleep each night.
Avoid naps longer than 20 minutes throughout the day, any longer and the body can reach deep sleep and you will wake up feeling groggy.
Avoid any caffeine after lunch time. (For you crazy people that like a coffee before bed, try decaf!)
If you try any of these tips, give it a week! You probably won't feel any different after one night, but you will if you are consistent.
You don’t have to use every single one of these tips at once, just try a couple that you think you will be able to implement easily and if you feel a difference and want to change more then you can do more.
That's it for all my sleep tips, happy sleeping team!