Getting a Good Night’s Sleep- Essential for Training

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We all know how good we feel when we get a good night’s rest and we all know how tired and crappy we feel when we don’t sleep well or get enough rest. But it actually goes further than that since getting enough quality sleep is essential for your body to heal and grow- especially for athletes. I can attest to this since my chronic back problems often wake me during the night to roll over and change positions. For a lot of other people, it is just anxiety and stress that keeps them from sleeping well. The irony is that when you do sleep well, you are usually a lot less anxious and stressed. So here is a good article from Prevention that can probably help most of us sleep better and be more productive during the day. While not all of the suggestions apply to everyone, you will find some good advice that will help you sleep better, feel better, train harder and grow faster!

Unplug an hour before bed. That includes the television, computer, cell phone, and any other glowing tech tools. Research shows that the brain misreads artificial light as daylight, so it doesn’t release melatonin, a sleep-regulating chemical, which is normally triggered by darkness.

Take a warm shower or bath. Your body temperature goes down when you get out, which makes you feel sleepy. That’s because it mimics what occurs deep inside the body at night, when internal temperature drops to its lowest level.

Meditate or pray for 10 minutes. Several studies show that it can help reduce anxiety, release negative thinking, and improve sleep. Sit quietly in a comfortable position and repeat a phrase you find relaxing, such as Keep letting go.

Limit liquids after 6 p.m. The reason she wakes up so often to use the bathroom is simply because she drinks too much fluid during the second half of the day. After 6 p.m., have just one to two glasses of water…

Set a bedtime and stick to it. Going to bed at different times throws the internal body clock out of whack. It’s better if she hit the sack at the same time every night and set the alarm for the same time every morning — even on weekends, suggests Naiman. This will help get her body on a regular pattern, which makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Try a small dose of melatonin. The brain makes this chemical naturally, but it’s often in short supply in people with insomnia. Studies have shown that taking a melatonin supplement helps improve sleep, but you need only a small amount: 0.5 mg, 15 minutes before bed.