Sleep is Precious Time

It amazes me how much our bodies rely on sleep. Some people average 8 hours, others only 4 hours of sleep at night. We all have a window where our bodies require a certain amount of sleep to run its best that next day.

Sleep is very important for our bodies. It is a time where our bodies recover and repair. Being an athlete, and pushing my body to limits requires more recovery and more repairing. So it’s very important that enough rest is obtained. Not getting enough sleep doesn’t just make me feel tired the next day, it effects my overall performance. Sometimes I can have an extra cup of coffee getting a second wind of energy to power through the day. What I can’t make up for is the time my body lost to recover. That is what I feel plays a huge roll in my performance and training.

There are nights I get far less sleep than usual and can be okay the next day. Usually those are my off days when I can take time to chill and be lazy. However, If I have too many nights in a row with less sleep, that's when I start to crumble. Over time I have learned what works for myself and, trust me, I am still learning! Sleep has never been easy for me. For starters, I am a light sleeper. I was always jealous of those who could sleep through noises in the hotel room next door or the busy streets outside; I hear it all. On the plus side, if there is ever an emergency I will be out out of my bed instantly! There are a few key things I need in order to get a good nights sleep.

One of them is cool temperatures. I sleep best when its cooler in the room so I can lay more heavy blankets and not worry about being too warm. The weight of the blankets and or comforter helps me relax and settle down. This is the one and only time I like being cold. I train in an ice rink all day, complain about the cold during the winter, but when it comes to sleep, I love the cold.

The second thing that I need is total darkness. I love hotel rooms because they have the best room darkening shades. When the sun is up and shining through my window, I am up. Unless I need to be, I dont want to be up that early! I also have a few street lights that come through my window so in order to avoid all light, my best solution is my eye mask. I have tried room darkening shades and curtains; but to be honest, the light always peaks through. I have found that when I wear my eye mask to sleep, I can sleep until my body wakes up on its own.

Third, is white noise. I can sleep when it's completely silent but life happens outside my walls. White noise is sometimes useful for me to block out any surrounding sounds. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a light sleeper who can’t be bothered!

My biggest obstacle when it comes to sleep is my phone. I use it as my alarm so that is my lame excuse to have it bedside. I go to bed and start scrolling through social media on my phone or watching youtube videos. This is where I can get into trouble if I am not careful. If I stay on my phone too long, I have a very hard time falling asleep. Listening to a Netflix show as I close my eyes helps me fall asleep when I am tossing and turning. Listening to the show helps distract my busy mind from all its thoughts. So, sometimes my phone can be helpful to my sleep as long as I don't use it to look on social media too long.

I am not one to take naps during the day, therefor my nighttime sleep is my one shot a day to get adequate rest and recovery. I do my best to sleep naturally without any aids. Sticking to a schedule and bedtime routine definitely helps; as with anything, your body responds well to routine! I consider sleep to be a part of my nutrition as I am feeding my body the time to rest and recover.

https://ipanicked.me/2018/08/30/tryptophan-serotonin-low-anxiety/

My nutrition also helps my body sleep soundly in many ways. Tryptophan is a critical nutrient for our bodies because it is the precursor to the bodies serotonin production. Foods that are high in tryptophan are food like turkey, yogurt, eggs, fish, chia seeds, hemp seeds, bananas. What many people don’t know is that these foods with large tryptophan levels doesn’t impact your serotonin levels right away. Tryptophan is just one of many amino acids present in these foods. While all the amino acids compete to get transported to the brain, tryptophan is the least represented amino acid and therefor gets pushed aside by the others. There is thing that promotes tryptophan to easily enter the brain, and that is eating carbohydrates. When we eat carbs, our body releases insulin causing the removal of all amino acids. This allows the tryptophan to enter the brain easily, raising serotonin levels. With that being said, eating a light snack that is carbohydrate-centric before going to bed will help release your bodies serotonin levels. Next time you want a snack before going to bed, reach for a banana, a handful of almonds or walnuts, or a simple glass of milk.

I never go to bed on an empty stomach! Nothing is worse than waking up in the middle of the night because you are hungry, or trying to fall asleep while your stomach is growling. If I feel I need little something before bed I will opt for a little protein and carbs to give my body an undisrupted sleep.

In one of my previous blog posts I talked about stress. Stress can have a huge impact on your sleep. If you’re anything like me, I have a very active mind. Finding ways to control your stress levels can help the quality of your sleep. Put your mind at ease, and give your body the rest it needs so you can strive to your full potential everyday!

Don’t take your sleep for granted. Sleep has such a beneficial impact on your day when you get an adequate amount. Bedtime routines are not just for children. If you don't already have one, create a bedtime that works for you and your body will thank you!