Achieving 8-10 hours of restful sleep can significantly enhance your progress in reaching any fitness goal. Ample sleep not only influences your food choices positively (as poor sleep often triggers cravings for simple carbs and sugars) but also leaves you feeling rejuvenated for your workouts and better equipped to manage stress. In this guide to better sleep you will find some simple strategies you can implement RIGHT NOW to start having a better sleep.
1. RESET YOUR CIRCADIAN CLOCK
Your morning routine plays SUCH an important role in regulating your sleep patterns. Expose yourself to sunlight within 30-60 minutes of waking up. Best way to do this, go for a walk! Similarly, aim to spend time outdoors in the afternoon, prior to sunset, without wearing sunglasses. Allow your eyes to be exposed to the natural light—avoiding shaded areas and accessories like brimmed hats and sunglasses.
On bright cloudless days, 10 minutes of sunlight exposure is beneficial. On cloudy days, aim for 20 minutes, and on very overcast days, consider spending 30-60 minutes outside. However, in regions with limited sunlight, such as Vancouver or temperate rainforest areas, using a sun lamp can be a practical alternative. These lamps simulate natural sunlight and are commonly used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). You can explore the top SAD lamps available in this article.
2. ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT SLEEP SCHEDULE
Maintaining a regular sleep routine involves waking up and going to bed at the same time every day. Avoid staying up excessively late, as this can disrupt your ability to fall asleep. It’s crucial to wake up at the same time each day, regardless of your bedtime or the day of the week. This can be challenging as life gets in the way, but if you make it a priority you will see your sleep improve immensely. Sleeping in on weekends disrupts your body’s natural rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and wake up on subsequent days. Get up and get outside!
3. AVOID CAFFEINE BEFORE BED
Refrain from consuming caffeine within 8-10 hours of your intended bedtime, as it can interfere with your sleep. This includes coffee, tea, energy drinks, and other caffeinated beverages. Timing is everything!
4. CREATE AN IDEAL SLEEP ENVIRONMENT
The ideal sleep temperature is 18 degrees Celsius. Create a sleeping environment that is cool, dark, and equipped with layered blankets that allow for temperature regulation. Your body needs a slight decrease in temperature (around 1-3 degrees) to facilitate falling asleep and maintaining sleep. If you are too hot, you won’t fall asleep as easily and are more easily woken up.
5. LIMIT ALCOHOL AND SLEEP MEDICATIONS
While alcohol and certain sleep medications may induce a sense of faster sleep onset, they ultimately disrupt the quality of your sleep. These substances often lead to decreased sleep quality despite the perception of improved sleep. Limit alcohol and if you are taking sleep medications, try to taper off and use some of the above methods.
This guide to better sleep has been inspired by the Huberman Lab’s research and can assist you in optimising your sleep patterns for enhanced fitness outcomes.
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