Boost Your Recovery AND Be A Better Human
There's a life hack to getting smarter, more alert, recovery from workouts, and boosting your energy. Here's something else cool...you're already doing it. The question though is, are you doing it enough? Life is busy, so sometimes sleep can take the back seat, but a lot of great and important things happen while we sleep. Look at the list below to see some benefits of catching some Z's:
Your brain turns short term memories into long term memories, erases/forgets any unneeded information that may clutter the brain. 🧠
Your brain takes out the trash – it removes waste that builds up from the day in your nervous system. Nerve cells communicate and reorganize for healthy brain function. 🗑️
Your body fixes itself: Your cells repair and regrow themselves. 👨🔧
Your body recharges – energy is restored. 🪫→🔋
Sleep is a natural support animal – it helps balance emotions. 🐶
It’s a nutrition coach! – sleep controls hunger hormones 😇
Seek and Destroy - your immune system kicks into high gear and defends itself or destroys harmful germs 🦠🤺
How much sleep should you get? Countless studies share adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Maybe you've been told this and you're maybe even sick of hearing it, becuase you want to sleep, but still have a tough time falling aseep. No problem. Here are 8 Tips for better sleep:
1. Move throughout your day 🚶♀️: walking/exercising makes your body tired
2. Have a nighttime routine 🥱: I have two little girls at home. When my wife and I get them ready for bed, it’s get a bath, lotion up, put on jammies, shake our silly’s out, read 3 books, say our prayers, and sing a song. Just imagine if your spouse read you a book, sang a song, and or scratched your back until you fell asleep. You’d sleep like a baby. This probably isn’t realistic, but you should create your own routine for winding down and helps you fall asleep much faster.
3. Are you afraid of the dark? 😳: If so, there’s no need! It’s actually good for you…the darker the room, the more beneficial your sleep is!
4. Keep it chilly 🥶: Sleeping in a colder room is better. Think about the last time you went camping or at college with no AC and you were sweating as you tried to sleep. It probably sucked. Research recommends sleeping temperatures should be about 65-70 degrees.
5. No screens 30-60 minutes before bed 📺: I know, I know, I’m not great at this either, but stop scrolling IG before bed, or if you’re reading this before bed, we appreciate you…but shame on you! ;) If you watch TV, opt for something light, no thrillers or horror movies. Better yet, read a book before bed. Other options could be taking a warm bath/shower or doing some soft tissue massage to relax and unwind.
6. Schedules 🕗: Sleep and wake up at the same times. People enjoy habits. We adjust well to routines and schedules, and sleep is the same. The weekends may have a little more give, but sleep cycles like habits. It will be easier to fall sleep and wake up in the morning with a schedule. Side note - you can’t make up for lost sleep with naps, unfortunately.
7. Keep tabs on caffeine ☕️: It takes 4-6 hours for HALF of the caffeine you take in to leave your body. Everyone is a little different, so play with caffeine cut-off times to see what works best for you and what helps you sleep longer/better.
8. Keep alcohol to a minimum/none at all 🍻: although you may fall asleep faster with a night cap, your sleep quality is interrupted because the body is working to breakdown the alcohol in the system. Another side note for you – alcohol prevents us from learning and remembering information!
Sleep is a superpower. If you're dealing with an issue, physically, mentally, or emotionally, sleep can help you repair, think clearly, and help you gain control. To give this even more umph, you can pair it up with meditation, prayer, and/or journaling before bed to also help. Have questions on the magic of sleep or any other ways to improve your recovery? Just reach out, we're here to help.
Dr. Luke
