Sleep Practices
There is no such thing as overtraining, only under recovering! Okay I get it, I get it. I can feel all of your eyes rolling to the back of your head as you read this statement. Just hear me out!
Of all the things related to health fitness, and performance I would prioritize sleep over everything. Yes even nutrition and training. This is because sleep quality not only will be the greatest predictor of life expectancy, it will also have a massive impact on whether the food we eat or the way we train actually gets us closer to our goals.
Working out hard results in putting our bodies into a ‘catabolic’ state where muscle cells actually break down. Think about lifting and feeling soreness in the following days. These are actually micro tears in the muscle tissue. Sounds bad right? This is actually part of the process of getting stronger. The cool thing is our body is extremely resilient and when we lift loads to a level that breaks tissue down, our body will repair those tissues to be bigger and stronger than before. And this is where physiological adaptation occurs!
The key to this whole equation is RECOVERY. We must get into an ‘anabolic’ state which is the building phase. In the example above our body will repair these tissues during rest and through proper fuel (nutrition). Which means that while training hard is good, you will only yield results to the level of your recovery.
Aside from just training, sleep is when our body recovers all other areas in the body. In order to learn properly your body needs sleep to digest the information. Many studies show that to retain information it is best to go to sleep directly after studying something.
Sleep is also when our body regulates hormones in the body. So if you have been dieting hard for a long time and unable to see results consider checking your sleep quality. If you are under recovered it can affect weight loss and create hormone imbalances.
Now is the time to implement a routine to help you get improve your sleep quality and maximize your results from training! Below are my top 5 tips for improved sleep.
5 Tips for Better Sleep
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Limit caffeine consumption throughout the day.
Sleep in a cool dark room. Use black out shades or a sleep mask.
Limit screen time a couple hours before going to bed (Tv, phones, computers, etc). Use blue light blocking glasses if you must use these devices. .
Do not eat directly before bed.
Mediate or perform a breathing practice before bed to calm your mind.