Most of us already know the importance of getting enough sleep, but equally as important is the quality of sleep we get. Getting enough quality restful sleep is crucial to lean tissue development as well as replenishing our mental capacity.
Exercise and Nutrition while important maybe futile if we don't back it up with restful quality sleep. Research shows that sleep is equally as important as exercise and the food that we eat. If most of us already know this than why are we such a sleep deprived nation? While stress definitely plays into the quality and quantity of sleep we get I think more is the lack of knowledge surrounding setting the environment and body for a restful night of sleep.
Today we'll look at some ways to achieve a more restful night of sleep. Put these things into practice and I assure you will have an easier time getting and staying asleep at night.
Establish a Sleep Routine:
In order to eat healthy we take time to prep and prepare food that will nourish and support our activity levels. Prior to a workout we take (or should take) time to warm-up the body doing bodyweight movements in various planes to ensure that we have a good, injury free workout. Why then do we not take the time to prepare the body for rest? Why do we expect that we can go from 100mph to 0 without any time to unwind?
First step create a nighttime routine that prepares your body for a restful night of sleep. Consistency is key here and overtime if you are consistent your body will begin the unwinding process naturally.
Be Regular:
Our bodies are fans of consistency. Striving to wake/sleep at the same time everyday should be priority. If you have young children like I do this can sometimes be difficult, or they can be the consistency that you need. If they are on a regular sleep/wake cycle they may provide you with the same consistency. The trick is going to bed when they do or shortly there after.
If you can be consistent with your sleep patterns then the body will naturally adjust sleep/waking hormones that will facilitate both processes just as mother nature intended.
Drinking stimulus:
While it may seem relaxing to have a few drinks at the end of a long day, this can disrupt your deep sleep cycle. Drinking your afternoon pick-me up may have the same effect. While caffeine can be a good tool for increasing the efficiency of your workout if used too close to bed time it will prevent a deep and restful nights sleep.
Use caffeine if you need to, but try to limit or omit using it after 1pm to ensure that it does not disrupt your sleep cycles.
Electronic stimulus:
If your like most today your cell phone is your alarm clock as well as your nightly reader. iPad, Nooks, iPhones, TV, computers, laptops all these are stimulus. Research is showing that the artificial light put off by these devices is stimulating and can trick our brain/body into thinking the sun is still up. Thus, releasing stimulating hormones that keep our body in a waking state.
If you must use your table for reading select the black or sepia screen to reduce the glow. If your using the computer then download one of the many programs that will "soften" the glow of the screen.
The body naturally releases Melatonin as light levels decrease. Artificial light can disrupt the release of melatonin therefore reducing the quality/quantity of the sleep we get. Try to eliminate artifical light 30 mins prior to sleep to ensure a restful night.
Before Bed Eat/Drink:
Eating a large meal or consuming a large amount of fluids before bed will disrupt your sleep cycles and leave you headed to the bathroom perhaps several times a night. To ensure this doesn't happen to you it's a good idea to pick a particular time of night to "close the kitchen." Pick a time that is 2 hours prior to your bed time.
Write it down:
We've all spent wakeful hours looking at the ceiling thinking about all the things we have to do, email, call, go here go there etc.....Instead of wasting precious sleep why not take a few mins prior to bed to write down the things that are keeping your mind active. Sleep well and tackle your to-do list in the morning with a full nights sleep you are sure to be more productive.
Stretch/Meditate/Read:
What is it that calms you?
- Mediatation/deep breathing
- Light stretching/fluid movement
- Reading/writing
5 Hour energy:
We've all heard someone say that they do better on 5 hours of sleep. While this maybe true for a while research shows that it's only a matter of time before their productivity/performance will suffer drastically for the lack of sleep. Most people do best on 7-9 hours of sleep so make 7 hours your baseline.
Exercise is key:
Yet another reason to exercise. Regular exercise will stabilize your circadian rhythms leading to a more restful nights sleep. As if you needed me to tell you that......
Setting your sleep environment:
Perhaps as important as setting a pre-bed routine is setting your sleeping environment. Here's a few pointers on creating an environment for restful sleep.
- Keep it dark - use blinds or curtains to keep the room dark as possible during resting hours.
- Leave electronics out - try to leave electronics in another room or on "do not disturb" mode to prevent the late night email/text notifications
- Use white noise - live in a busy area? Try a white noise machine to create a more restful environment.
- Set the right temperature - get a programmable thermostat not only will it save you a few bucks on your heating/cooling bill, but it will also automatically set the room temperature for you.
Conclusions:
Good sleep is crucial in order to be the best you can be rest is so important. It's the reset your body needs in order to grow and repair. Give it the time it needs.
Get plenty of it shoot for at least 7 hours although 8 to 9 would be better. Your emotional, physical and mental self will thank you.
Take control all the things you do during the day play into how well/bad you sleep so think about your day and especially think about the hour to half hour leading up to sleep. There's not a lot of things we can control in today's world, but the environment and preparation leading up to sleep is something you can control.
References:
B. St.Pierre. Hacking Sleep: Engineering a high quality, restful night. Retrieved from http://www.precisionnutrition.com/hacking-sleep.
