HOW SLEEP IMPROVES YOUR RESULTS, HEALTH & PERFORMANCE!
You get into bed shattered after a long day. You know you need to sleep but still have a million and one things racing through your mind. You're just about to fall asleep and then you remember that one thing you forgot to do. So how do you ever get a good night’s rest?
This blog will give you 5 practical tips to start improving your sleep that you can start from today.
Sleep deprivation and overall poor sleep quality can set you up for a real groggy start to the following day, leaving you searching for that quick caffeine or ‘mental boost’ to kick start your morning. But as I’m sure you know, that only lasts so long before you're looking for the next kick start, and then you're into a vicious cycle of ups and downs throughout the day.
I remember a time whereby sleep just became one of those hard to come by things for me, and I thought is this the new norm that I just have to get used to? But what I failed to realise is that there are so many beneficial things that happen whilst we are sleeping, that contribute to our health, performance, and ability to focus.
I’ll spare boring you with all the scientific details but here are 3 things to note
Sleep helps to rest and replenish the mind, so that you're able to focus on the tasks at hand and push through a tough workout.
Whilst you're sleeping many hormonal changes are happening, that contribute to muscle repair and recovery, if you're exercising regardless of the goal this is vital.
These hormonal changes directly influence your appetite, hunger, how efficiently your body burns and stores fat
The daily kickstarts may feel great in the immediate, but stands nowhere near what improving your sleep can do for you! Not just today, but for the rest of your life. So here are the 5 tips you can use to start improving your sleep.
Find ways to cool down your body temperature before bed. Research shows that when your body is cool it releases a sleep hormone called melatonin.
Avoid exposure to blue lights 2 hours before sleep, simply put stop scrolling on social media, get off computers/phones, and binging on Netflix before bed. Blue lights delay the release of melatonin and disrupt your sleeping pattern.
Find a good night time routine that will help to de-stress your mind. Reading, yoga, meditation, or a good bath could be a good place to start
No caffeine 5-6 hours before bed. Caffeine can last up to 6 hours in your system, delaying the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep
Green, black or matcha tea are really good choices before bed as they include a hormone that helps to create a state of calm and relaxation.
