Sleeping is key to recovery, energy each day, and performing better on the athletic field or in board meetings.
When we think of sleep, we are all different sleepers whether that be you are knocked out cold as soon as your head hits the pillow or someone wakes up during the night off and on.
There are 5 key points we should start to do, starting to think about these steps will be helpful:
1. Sleep is Good. Talking about Sleep is ok –
talking about how it is ok to sleep more, take more naps, and just stay in bed longer than we think we should.
A good example: If you are a Night Owl and don’t go to bed until 1130-12a and have to get up at 630a or 7a you’re going to want to Take Naps
This will give you a boost in energy.
20-60 minute naps are best for boosting energy
Try to shoot for a nap in the mid of the day
**Going to bed at 2 am is not a good time to start to sleep Night Owls :)**
2. Keep the Room Cold
It is important to keep the room as cold as possible. I personally use fans that blow air on me to keep my core temp lower to relax my body to rest better.
3. Warm Shower in the evening
A warm shower 1-3 hours before bed provides more blood flow to the surface of the skin and will drop your core temperature telling your brain it is time to sleep.
a. Save a cold shower for the morning as a wake up call 🙂
4. Get rid of all Lights
The darker the room the better. Blue light from TV’s, clocks, radio clock in a hotel room is going to not allow you to relax fully.
Cover all clocks, shut off TV, and if you in a hotel room put a towel at the base of the door.
*sleep hack – wear a 3d blackout sleep mask*
5. More Sun the Better
The more sun we can get early in the morning, in the afternoon and evening will prepare you for sleep.
The Vitamin D you receive from the sun is key in sleep because Vitamin D has melatonin which is a key hormone in sleep. See the Sun in the morning, afternoon, and at Sun down.
**Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 after**
Let’s make the summer a fun one and a more restful one Rockstar Nation!
-Jake Cheney
Rockstar Fitness, LLC.