The good news is that working out and sleeping well go hand in hand.
With World Sleep Day approaching, you're probably wondering how to sleep better. A good night's sleep is one of the most critical components of your training to reach your personal best.
Our bodies need rest and relaxation to rebuild, especially after endurance training or weightlifting. The same goes for low-impact workouts like walking.
Studies demonstrate that prioritising sleep improves athletic performance. When this is weakened, athletes' abilities diminish along with their risk of injury, weariness, and decision making. How does it affect non-athletes?
Identical. How can you improve your sleep?
1.Sync sleep
The circadian rhythm is everyone's 24-hour "internal clock."
Working around your normal sleep-wake cycle changes everything. By waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, you may improve your sleep and training.
Vigorous activity before night might disrupt your sleep. High intensity sports like HIIT, heavy weightlifting, and lap swimming produce adrenaline, keeping you alert. It maintains your core temperature elevated for longer, and we sleep best when chilled. Try calming mild exercise instead.
Sleep enough
Quality and amount of sleep are crucial. Adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep to feel their best. If you get less sleep than this, you accumulate sleep "debt," which can leave you weary and unmotivated.
Dr. Roshane Mohidin, GP and Behaviour Change Specialist at Vitality, says, "Most adults need eight hours of quality sleep to operate at their best, and a lack of sleep can affect mood, concentration, irritability, and anxiety."
Unwellness or having a young infant might affect how much and how well you sleep. Try daytime naps if you can't sleep 7 hours at night.
Some advocate working backwards to plan your schedule and obtain adequate sleep. 6am alarm? 11pm should be your latest bedtime. So you may start winding down 30 minutes before bed.
3. Create a sleep-friendly atmosphere
Working from home has given many of us more morning sleep. At the height of the epidemic, 37% of respondents experienced sleep disturbances because to the blurred borders between work and life.
Many of us have turned our bedrooms into offices, causing our relaxation zone to become stressful. Your bedroom should be free of distractions that induce stress and impair sleep. Some strategies to improve sleep:
• Invest in a blackout blind to sleep in absolute darkness
• Reduce noise in the room
• Keep the room chilly, preferably 16–18c
• Lavender is considered to help us relax through aroma
• If you can, try working at a coffee shop for a change of scene
4. Unplug
Blue-light is emitted by phones, tablets, displays, and computers. This light lowers our pineal gland's melatonin synthesis, which helps us sleep. Our circadian clock is regulated by melatonin, thus exposure to light before bed might affect sleep quality.
30 minutes before bed (longer if you can), avoid blue-light emitting electronics and try yoga, meditation, or reading a book.
5. Exercise daily
Sleep and exercise go hand-in-hand, remember? One without the other won't yield the desired effects.
We recommend mixing up your workout programme based on your talents and goals. Cardio, weight training, and conditioning increase general fitness, which improves sleep. Here's a sample week:
Monday: 10,000-step cardio walk; Tuesday: lower-body weightlifting; Wednesday: full-body conditioning
• Thursday: rest day • Friday: cardio (cycling in the morning or lunch break) • Saturday: upper body weightlifting
• Sunday: R&R
Conclusion? By maintaining a sleep and exercise programme, you'll increase your sleep quality and workout performance.