Sleep is one of the most important aspects within a training regime and one of the most taken for granted. When you have consciously shut down and gone to bed that’s when your body is working, repairing and growing. An effective workout should reward you with some aching pains which we Fitness professionals call Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness or better known as DOMs, if you’ve never experienced these aches then I suggest you up your training as you could be achieving so much more. What that pain indicates is due to your training you’ve created micro tears in the muscle, once the muscle repairs itself, it rebuilds back stronger.
Back to the topic at hand, SLEEP! The body does the majority of its repairing and growing during sleep so if you wish to see results make sure you’re getting the recommended hours of sleep which is around 8hrs. The tendency is to neglect sleep with our hectic lifestyles but to avoid injuries and lack of energy then sleep is key. The best training regime and eating plan in the world can be undone by a lack of sleep.
Here are STONEiMAGE’s tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
1. Never Oversleep 10+ hrs: Oversleeping may set the bodies’ clock to a different cycle. This will make trying to fall asleep much harder.
2. Take A Warm Bath: A warm bath will sooth and relax. However, a shower will have the opposite effect so this should be avoided.
3. Exercise: Exercising, particularly aerobic, during the day will sufficiently tire you out and sleep will come faster at night. Intense training sessions during the late evening will have the opposite effect as your adrenaline will still be pumping hrs after training has finished.
4. Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine & Tyrosine-Rich Foods such as dairy products at Night: Caffeine causes hyperactivity and wakefulness. Tyrosine- rich foods are brain stimulating and may keep one awake. Alcohol significantly disrupts sleep by interfering with the stages of sleep.
5. Avoid Sleeping Pills: These may work temporarily but in the long term will cause disturbed sleep patterns.
6. Correct Sleeping Environment: Keep your room reasonably cool (about 60 degrees). Humidity may cause disrupted sleep. A fan running or soft background music may help to relax and encourage sleep.
7. Make evening’s relaxed, not stressful affairs.
8. Do not watch television in bed. This may also increase alertness. The brain may also decide that bedtime is for television watching and refuse to sleep.
Written by Erron Dussard of STONEiMAGE
www.stone-img.com
@Stoneimage
