When people think about a healthy lifestyle, things like proper diet, good exercise, and drinking lots of water typically come to mind.
Rarely do people think about how important sleep is to their fitness, yet it is vital.
The New York times writes of a small study involving five members of the Standford women's tennis team.
In the study, the athletes were measured for two to three weeks at their normal levels of activity to establish a baseline. They took part in sprinting drills, hitting drills and team practices.
After the initial measurements were taken in the first three weeks, the athletes were told to extend their sleep to 10 hours per night. After doing so, every athlete improved in every aspect.
Sprinting times dropped, and hitting accuracy improved as well.
What this study suggests is a profound improvement on physical performance from sleeping more.Â
You can probably easily appreciate the profound importance of sleep, but you are probably thinking there is no way you could ever get 10 hours of sleep like those athletes did.
Let's look at a few tips for better sleep that will help you get to a deeper, more restful sleep. This will help you improve not just the quantity of sleep, but also the quality.
Getting a great night sleep actually starts before your head hits the pillow.
Actually, your activity level should start to taper off at least an hour before bed. Let this time be for winding down and signaling to your body that the time to sleep is approaching.
While you are winding down, make sure to prepare the room you are sleeping in. There are two main things that will help in this area.
First, make the room as dark as possible. Next, unplug all electrical devices and get them out of the room if possible.
This means no cell phones, no laptops, and no glowing alarm clocks.Â
I would actually prefer you woke up without an alarm clock, but if you just must have one, use an old fashioned style clock that winds.
30 minutes before bed, it's time to do something really relaxing. You could take a bath or read a book, but whatever you do, make it a habit that you repeat every night.
This will signal to the brain that it is time to go to sleep.
If you are still having trouble getting great sleep, don't reach for the Ambien and other habit forming drugs.
Instead try a natural alternative supplement called ZMA. It is high in zinc and magnesium, and will help you get to sleep and stay asleep.
To summarize:
Follow those steps and your sleep will improve dramatically.
Rarely do people think about how important sleep is to their fitness, yet it is vital.
The New York times writes of a small study involving five members of the Standford women's tennis team.
In the study, the athletes were measured for two to three weeks at their normal levels of activity to establish a baseline. They took part in sprinting drills, hitting drills and team practices.
After the initial measurements were taken in the first three weeks, the athletes were told to extend their sleep to 10 hours per night. After doing so, every athlete improved in every aspect.
Sprinting times dropped, and hitting accuracy improved as well.
What this study suggests is a profound improvement on physical performance from sleeping more.Â
You can probably easily appreciate the profound importance of sleep, but you are probably thinking there is no way you could ever get 10 hours of sleep like those athletes did.
Let's look at a few tips for better sleep that will help you get to a deeper, more restful sleep. This will help you improve not just the quantity of sleep, but also the quality.
Tips For Better Sleep
Getting a great night sleep actually starts before your head hits the pillow.
Actually, your activity level should start to taper off at least an hour before bed. Let this time be for winding down and signaling to your body that the time to sleep is approaching.
While you are winding down, make sure to prepare the room you are sleeping in. There are two main things that will help in this area.
First, make the room as dark as possible. Next, unplug all electrical devices and get them out of the room if possible.
This means no cell phones, no laptops, and no glowing alarm clocks.Â
I would actually prefer you woke up without an alarm clock, but if you just must have one, use an old fashioned style clock that winds.
30 minutes before bed, it's time to do something really relaxing. You could take a bath or read a book, but whatever you do, make it a habit that you repeat every night.
This will signal to the brain that it is time to go to sleep.
If you are still having trouble getting great sleep, don't reach for the Ambien and other habit forming drugs.
Instead try a natural alternative supplement called ZMA. It is high in zinc and magnesium, and will help you get to sleep and stay asleep.
To summarize:
- Taper down your activity level at least 1 hour prior to bed time
- Make the room as dark as possible
- Unplug all electrical devices
- 30 minutes before, read a book
- If needed, take ZMA
Follow those steps and your sleep will improve dramatically.
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