Optimize Your Sleep
The Quality of Your Sleep Affects Your Performance
Here are some easy ways to modify your sleeping habits to ensure that you are getting the most out of your sleep.
Getting Enough Sleep Is Just The Beginning
It is obvious that getting enough sleep is crucial for your overall health. Getting enough sleep is vital when it comes to recovering from your workouts as well as cognitive and physical performance in general.
However, the quality of your sleep is equally important.
Avoid Being Sedentary – Exercise!
Exercise contributes to more restful sleep in people who were previously sedentary.
But it’s important that your workouts are not too late in the day. If they are, the cortisol spike from exercise may affect your ability to fall asleep.
Control Light Exposure
- Light throughout the day should match natural exposure from the sun.
- Try to avoid blue light from electronics around bedtime, and dim the lights to help your body make the transition to resting naturally. If you can’t, at least dim the screen.
- Keep your sleeping environment as dark as possible.
Eat High-Quality Carbohydrates at Dinner
Eating high quality carbs increases the serotonin production in the body, which has a calming and restful effect and can help you get sleepy.
The insulin release will counter the effects of the stress hormone cortisol and help you achieve a good night’s sleep. If your cortisol levels are high, it can keep you too alert when you want to sleep.
Considering a starchy vegetable at dinner such as a sweet potato, boiled grains, beans, or a piece of fruit.
If sleep is an ongoing issue, consider using a supplement.
Deficiencies in magnesium and vitamin D have been found to disrupt sleep patterns, and Melatonin can optimize your circadian rhythm.
Or supplement with food! Tart cherry juice will naturally increase melatonin and decrease inflammation.
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