Consider your past while you read this. Have you ever been taught "how to sleep"? They showed you how to clean your behind or use a spoon, but they never showed you how to sleep. You may pretend to fall asleep by closing your eyes, but do you know what time it is?
I'll be covering the fundamentals of sound sleeping in this topic.
This is HUGE
The more/better sleep you get, the more effectively your metbolism works, the more muscle you gain, the more fat you burn, and the stronger you get.
Sleep deprivation slows metabolism, raises blood pressure, boosts ghrelin (the hunger hormone), results in insulin resistance, and raises cortisol levels. A cognitive booster is sleep.
A 20-minute snooze during the day is also highly recommended. If feasible, eat a meal about 2 hours after your workout. This is especially helpful if you train twice or more per day. Nevertheles, taking a nap too late in the day can mess with circadian cycles and make it harder to fall asleep at night.
“If you religiously take Creatine and only sleep 5 hours a night, you’re a f*cking idiot” -Stan Efferding.
If you get up early to do exercise after getting little sleep, you're stepping over $100 banknotes to grab nickels. That is a zero-sum game.
The ideal amount of sleep is greater than 8 hours, and it has been demonstrated that athletes perform better and stronger while getting 9 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
The main finding of Greg Nuckols' most recent meta-analysis on sleep is that nothing beats ensuring that your head is on the pillow for the recommended number of hours each night. While all other interventions produced conflicting results, both trials looking at the impact of sleep extension (raising time in bed to 9-10+ hours per night) demonstrated significant performance increases in high-level athletes quickly. Craig Nuckols
Sleep loss limits fatloss
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004211637.htm
Sleep is also ESSENTIAL for developing physical and mental habits, as well as academic and athletic abilities.https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/04/for-better-performance-athlete
*Practicing good sleep hygiene
Follow your circadian rhythms when going to bed. 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Every hour you are able to sleep before midnight is equivalent to two hours of sleep!
Depending on your age and workload, 7 to 10 hours of sleep with a 20-minute nap is ideal. (Greater than 20-30 minutes and you may enter Deep or REM sleep which may make you tired when you wake up).
Wake up at the same time every day, seven days a week. By establishing a routine, you can more easily fall asleep at night.
Sleep with blackout curtains in a completely dark room. Switch off ALL devices, including nightlights.
• Use earplugs or headphones, or choose a quiet room to sleep in.
Avoid drinking excessive amounts of liquids close to night or using stimulants like caffeine.
It has been demonstrated that including some carbohydrates in your meal two hours before bed improves the quantity and quality of your sleep. As the brain becomes hungry, adrenaline and cortisol are released to acquire glucose from muscle tissue since the brain doesn't sleep and doesn't stop utilising glycogen throughout the night (gluconeogenesis).
An hour before going to bed, no TV or phone (the bright light prevents melatonin secretion). Blue light-blocking eyewear can help lessen the negative effects that using gadgets while awake has on the eyes.
If your blood levels are low, take vitamin D3. The ideal range is between 60 and 80 ng/dL.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5541280/
Sleep Apnea
- You may require a sleep study and ultimately a CPAP if you snore, hold your breath while sleeping, or wake up feeling fatigued. Although it might be costly and time-consuming, this process is necessary. A used CPAP machine can be purchased on Craigslist for a quick and cost-effective fix. I use the Resmed Remstar Plus with the "auto" mode, which automatically changes the pressure. If not supplied, masks are available on Amazon.
SLEEP AIDS:
Melatonin has not been proven to be helpful for regular sleep and may even make you drowsy when you wake up.When travelling, it has been demonstrated to be useful for resetting circadian rhythms to lessen jet lag.You frequently are unable to enter REM or Stage 4 sleep when using prescription sleep medications.
This Dr. Gominak interview on high-intensity health is jam-packed with usefull information, covering the impact of sleep on gut health, treating chronic illnesses, fostering healthy child development, addressing behavioural issues, and much more: High-Intensity Dr. Gominak