7 Keys to a Good Night's Sleep

 

Most athletes know that getting enough rest after exercise is essential to high-level performance. The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athletes.

Enough rest is critical to sports performance for a variety of reasons. Some are physiological and some are psychological. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen. For recreational athletes, building in rest days can help maintain a better balance between home, work and fitness goals. However, it is one of the elements that are often neglected.

Having trouble getting the recommended six to eight hours of sleep a night? Use the tips below to sleep better tonight.

1. Lower your thermostat.

Dropping the thermostat in your house to between 65 and 72 degrees has been shown to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. While these temperatures are the typical recommendations, you may need to experiment and find what temperature helps you sleep best.

2. Be in bed by 10 p.m.

Research has shown that sleeping from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. is optimal for physical and psychological recovery, and it's been linked to healthier eating habits. Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day will help you create a routine and regulate your sleep patterns. To fall asleep faster, try calming activities before bed—drink herbal tea, stretch, meditate, or read (no reading the news before bedtime).

3. Avoid too much caffeine.

You don't have to give up your morning cup of Joe, but drinking caffeine-heavy drinks at night can affect your sleep. Caffeine increase catecholamines, hormones that increase energy, heart rate, and blood vessel constriction, and prepare your body to respond to any challenge. While everyone's body reacts differently to caffeine, it's recommended that you stop drinking coffee about six hours before bed (for some as little as four hours and for others as much as eight hours).

4. Unplug your electronics.

Keep all electronics (phone, computer, TV, iPad, etc.) in another room. Having them in your bedroom keeps your brain active and can affect sleep. Using your bedroom for sleeping only will help your body and your brain calm down at night.

5. Skip your nightcap.

Downing a drink or two before bed can make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. It also impacts REM, or rapid eye movement, sleep cycles, which account for 25 percent of your total sleep time. This is when your brain activity and heart rate rises, you breathe erratically, and you commit things to long-term memory. If you don't spend enough time in this critical sleep cycle, you could wake up exhausted.

6. Make time for the gym.

Spend 30 minutes in the morning or afternoon working out. It can help you fall asleep faster at night. If you like to exercise later in the day, give yourself at least six hours, if you can, between working out and bedtime. Your body will be stimulated from exercising, so this gives it a chance to wind down before you sleep.

7. Make a doctor's appointment.

If you're still fighting sleep after trying all the tips above, talk to your doctor. Unpredictable sleep patterns and lack of sleep can lower your immunity and impact both your mental and physical health.