Developing Good Sleep Habits

I can't stand it when I wake up feeling tired! I'm certainly a person that needs their rest!

This is a common factor with people of all age groups. It is an article I stumbled upon and is worth reading!

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” ~William Blake

I believe that Blake’s quote is profound advice for living. Once you have your sleep environment properly set, it is time to address your sleep routines and rituals.

Do’s:

Go to bed the same time every night. Even if you're sleepy, stay on schedule. The more your body is on “rhythm” the easier it will be to fall asleep and wake up. Keep a sleep journal to document your hours and be able to review your patterns. (If you can document your training, you can do this, too!)

Have a “pre-sleep” routine. This can include reading, soft music, mentally planning out the next day, or even deep breathing. Turning the lights low or even wearing sunglasses in the house thirty minutes before bed can jump start the sleep process.

Have a light snack before bed. A glass of milk and peanut butter sandwich can be a simple and quick meal to give you the protein and carbs your body needs to get to bed. To get a little more technical (and less tasty to some) some sliced turkey and cottage cheese can deliver the L-tryptophan and slowly digested protein that can get you off to bed and supplied during sleep.

Improve your supplement closet. In addition to the potential effects of supplement classics like melatonin and valerian root, making sure you're not deficient in magnesium and zinc (found in ZMA may also help with a restful night sleep. Another supplement to look into is arginine.

Don’ts:

Don’t oversleep. A few days in a row of this can confuse your sleep schedule.

Don’t use caffeine (up to 8-10 hours before sleep), alcohol (which can disrupt sleep patterns), cigarettes (stimulant), and sleeping pills.

Don’t nap. And if you do need to lie down on the couch for a snooze during the day, keep it under 25 minutes.

Don’t train within three hours of bedtime. (Jacking up your nervous and cardiovascular system will make it nearly impossible for your body to shut down and get restful sleep).

“There will be enough time for sleeping in the grave.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Most athletes look at training and nutrition with such detail, but merely gloss over sleep. To reach your full potential (in body and mind), you must embrace the art of sleeping as much as you have the art of training.

Most of us recognize the things that lead to bad sleep habits, but are you really doing anything about it? Make no mistake: you are the result of the behaviors you maintain. So make some of the behavioral changes listed above and your life—not to mention your physique—will improve.

If, however, you subscribe to the Franklin quote above and miss too much sleep, that time in the grave might just be sooner than later.