Sleep… Are you getting enough?
Sleep is a key component of good health. Sadly most people do not get enough quality sleep.
Wake up feeling refreshed
What is ‘quality’ sleep?
The recommended sleep amount for sufficient repair processes is 7-9hrs for adults. There are four stages of sleep. It takes the body approximately four hours to cycle through a complete sleep cycle. It is recognised that for optimal health we need to cycle through two complete cycles of the four stages. Ideally, our sleep should be relatively undisturbed. For example, regular toilet trips, a snoring partner, a pet in the bed, or too much alcohol or caffeine in your body will all case deleterious sleep disruptions.
If you wake up and feel unrefreshed it is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep.
Why is sleep important?
Sleep is where growth hormone is released. Growth hormone is the key hormone required for cellular repair and the growth and repair of muscle tissue. Importantly growth hormone is released during deep sleep called REM (rapid eye movement). In order to go into REM sleep you need to ensure that you are asleep for a long enough period of time. As noted above most people do not get enough sleep, and therefore do not receive their full second stage of REM sleep.
9 Tips to maximise your sleep quality
1. Reduce screen time 30mins before bed (eg TV, computers, tablets, phones)
2. Avoid caffeine at least 3hrs before bed.
3. Minimise hard exertion in the early evening (eg training sessions)
4. Establish your body clock by keeping a consistent routine
5. Restrict fluid intake past 5pm to reduce night time toilet trips.
6. Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
7. Reduce exposure to bright lights 30-60mins before bed.
8. Keep the bedroom for sleeping. Avoid taking work to bed.
9. Remove TVs from your bedroom.
Brad Beer (APAM)
Runner & POGO Physio Guru & Founder