WHY IS SLEEP IMPORTANT
If I could pick 1 lifestyle change to improve one’s overall health and wellness it would be sleep.
I often hear people prioritising a massage gun, heat/cold exposure or a sports drink to aid their recovery but then only allow themselves a 6-hour window for sleep. These tools are great but are similar to putting fuel in a car with flat tyres.
If you want to improve your recovery, whether you are an athlete of sport or an athlete of life, improving your quality of sleep will help achieve far superior results over any other recovery tool you can buy.
Here are my 5 favourite tips that I provide clients to improve their sleep:
Regular sleep schedule – setting a ‘go to bed alarm’ is a great way to start improving your sleep hygiene. A regular bedtime ensures you wind down and get to sleep at a time that works best for you.
Sunlight – Within the first 2 hours of waking by exposing ourselves to at least 2 minutes of indirect sunlight (10 minutes on a cloudy day) we can help promote a healthy sleep-wake cycle. We can achieve this by sitting near a window or drinking your morning coffee outside (please do not stare directly at the sun).
NSDR Protocol – Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) is a guided audio tool that can help us combat the racing thoughts that may keep us up at night. Simply type “NSDR Protocol X minutes” into youtube/spotify. I’ll provide a link to one below.
321 rule for sleep – Finish eating 3 hours before bed, stop drinking 2 hours before bed and limit your technology use 1 hour before bed. Note: If using technology – it is preferred to watch TV over using a phone/computer/tablet as using hand held devices causes more stimulation.
Caffeine intake – minimize caffeine by the late afternoon. 6 hours after having a coffee 50% of the caffeine will remain in your bloodstream, it is worth being mindful of this.
If you can, aim for between 7-9 hours (ideally 8 hours) of sleep every night. 6 hours or less is considered sleep deprivation 🛌
In summary, if you are looking to get the most out of life, sleep should be the highest of priorities. The fancy stuff can follow later!
References
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake - Huberman Lab
Using Science to Optimize Sleep, Learning & Metabolism - Huberman Lab