Understanding Sleep and why it’s critical for our health and longevity.
Sleep is the only time our bodies can repair from the damage created during training and everyday stress. We highly recommend you listen to Dr. Kirk Parsley for more information specific to sleep and why it is imperative we strive to prioritize it more than anything else. Listen to Kirk on the Behind the Shield Podcast. Podcast episodes we recommend can be found here and here
Use these tips to help assist you in optimizing this critical piece of recovery.
Stick to a schedule . By keeping a routine, you allow your body to better acclimate to when it is time to sleep and when it is time to wake up. Use guided meditation to assist in prepping for sleep if necessary. Meditation has been proven to be effective to lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, stress and assist with sleep. Guided meditation allows us to focus on the task easier without becoming distracted by our own thoughts.
Turn off all device use 2 hours prior to sleep. Blue light stimulates the brain to stay awake and can trigger the ‘fight or flight’ stress response-especially if you are on a social media or news platform.
Keep room temperatures between 60-66 degrees . This temperature allows your body achieve a more relaxed state. Use a fan or products such as Bedjet to help reduce the temperature of your bed.
Keep the bedroom as dark as possible Devices such as low light alarm clocks and color change clocks can increase and decrease light exposure based off your sleep and wake cycles to better achieve a normal rhythm. Black out blinds can be extremely helpful as well
Exercise daily, but avoid exercise 3 hours prior to bedtime unless it’s walking High energy demand training can cause an increase in energy following a workout. Instead, try a light stretching routine or walk to help stimulate relaxation breathing. The benefits of walking can be found here
Avoid heavy and/or spicy meals prior to bed These types of meals can cause a large amount of energy to digest . Spicy food can easily cause gastic distress and keep you from falling asleep. Options can be found here
Avoid smoking or alcohol prior to bed Although alcohol can make us drowsy, it has been shown to decrease our ability to reach stage 4 sleep, which is a critical stage for hormone production, reduction of toxin build-up as well as allowing adequate tissue repair. If you have been tested for Low testosterone, a sleep study should be completed prior to any form of prescribed supplementation. Drastic improvements have been shown by increasing a person’s ability to reach stage 4 sleep. Speak with your Provider for more info.