The Power of Sleep (and how to get more)
We all know how important sleep is. It’s when we recharge, thought processes consolidate and our bodies recover from exercise. It also makes us feel a whole lot better when we’re well-rested. So why are so many people struggling to get enough?
When new clients start at Griffen Fitness, we always ask about sleeping habits. And what we’ve noticed is that more and more of us are turning into night owls. Especially since the pandemic. The primary reason? Our screens!
As someone who’s struggled with sleep, here are some of my personal tips to getting better zzzz’s:
- Doing some low intensity cardio exercise during the day is one of the easiest ways to make sure your body, as well as your brain, is tired in the evening.
- Even though it seems like alcohol can help you get to sleep, it’s been proven to interrupt sleep cycles and can lead to sluggishness in the morning. Have a week off booze and see if it makes a difference to you.
- Likewise check your caffeine intake, it might have crept up over the winter months. Can you reduce it to the essential cuppas? Nighttime teas (with chamomile or valerian) are a good after-dinner sup.
- Most smartphones have a ‘sleep’ mode that you can set to a timer. My android phone is set to go to ‘boring’ mode at 10pm, that is no screen colour and no alerts, it reminds me to go to bed at a good time.
- Make your bedroom your sanctuary. Blackout blinds are especially useful when the mornings start getting brighter, earlier. Try to avoid all screens, and charge your phone in another room. If you use your phone as an alarm, invest in a bedside alarm clock instead. You can even get a daylight alarm clock that lights up gradually in the morning, brilliant over winter.
- Earplugs have evolved! You can now buy earplugs online that reduce annoying noises, but don’t block out all of the sound (I use I use Flare Audio Calmer earplugs). Be proactive in creating the cave-like sleep environment you need.
- Sometimes an afternoon nap is a great way to keep your energy levels up during the day, but don’t have it too late as it might impact your evening sleep.
Hopefully some of these ideas are helpful for you. If you’re starting a new year exercise programme, remember that you need more sleep / recovery time so get to bed earlier to feel the benefit! Feel free to drop us a line for a free 30 minute phone consultation if you are looking to have more energy.
