SLEEP + THE KEY TO IMPROVING YOUR HEALTH
Sleep health is the foundation of building a well-rounded lifestyle. Sleep is where our body repairs, resets, and makes crucial adaptions. These adaptions allow for the body to become stronger, faster, and metabolically more efficient. With a well-rounded sleep routine the body can better handle stress, digestion, and the demands of exercise.
One common thing individuals do not realize is the body registers vigorous exercise as a stressor. Yes exercise is a key component in aiding the body in stress management, but if your everyday life is stressful (most everyone’s is), it is important to factor in the stress of exercise. Having proper recovery from exercise is not just stretching and foam rolling, it is most importantly sleep.
The harder you train the more sleep you will generally need. Athletes tend to need 8-9 hours of sleep to maintain optimal function and meet the demands of their training.
It is recommended to give your body a good 8 hours of sleep to see the benefits of better recovery and stress management. If you are in a caloric deficit, it is especially important to get quality sleep.
NOTE: Caloric deficits register as stressors in the body, paired with solid workouts, that means your body is under some strain, without even factoring in your normal day-to-day life stressors.
It can be difficult to unwind after a long day. Having a solid sleep routine can round out distractions and set your body in motion to fall asleep.
Top Habits to Implement in Your Nightly Routine
1. Avoid eating two hours before bed. Allowing your body ample time to digest, will in turn leave it ready to focus on relaxing and resting, post-digestion.
2. Have a good portion of carbohydrates prior to bed. A quick overview of the science; eating carbohydrates increases serotonin in the brain, your gut also makes 90% of the serotonin in the body, for your gut to synthesize serotonin it needs tryptophan (an essential amino acid). Tryptophan needs a consistent supply of carbohydrates to be able to reach the brain and produce serotonin.
3. Minimize blue light exposure. Put phones, laptops, and the tv off 1-2 hours prior to fall asleep. Blue light keeps your brain alert, but during the evenings it can neutralize your body’s natural melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your body’s sleep/wake cycle.
4. Avoid late night exercise. Exercising 2-3 hours before bed can spike your internal body temperature and make your internal clock delayed for sleep.
5. Magnesium supplementation before bed, according to research can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer periods of time.
6. Minimize caffeine consumption, and do not consume caffeine 5 hours before bed. If sleep is a large struggle, completing cutting caffeine may be a necessary step. If you “got to have it”, keeping your caffeine consumption below 200mg will best serve you. Having caffeine too late in the day will keep your body wired, making it harder to fall asleep. If you are in the category of really needing to do an overhaul on your sleep, but need some coffee, cut yourself off at 10am and gauge your response.
When settling on a nightly routine it comes down to unplugging, unwinding, and finding a schedule that works for you. Prioritize what works for you and repeat. It may take some time for your body to adjust, but keep at it. Remember sleep is one of the best tools you can use in your tool box of healthy living!
Peace & Love,