Sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene is an integral part of any exercise/sport plan or performance; without effective sleep, the body will fail to lose that required weight, won’t performance as it should in the gym or during a performance and will not function correctly with a negative mindset.  However, for some it can be a difficult task to control, we either sleep too much, or don’t sleep enough. As a personal trainer this is definitely something that needs discussing with clients. 

Firstly, we need to ensure that we build a good association with our beds, so that our brain automatically expects to sleep when you are lying in bed. For this reason, we need to only use our beds for sleep and sex, not watching TV or playing on our phones, and once we wake in the morning we should get up, not continue to lay in bed. Similarly, a lot of people use their beds when they are not feeling great, this then causes a poor association with our bed, every time we lie in our beds…we feel down. 

The more exercise that we complete, and the more sunlight we are exposed to during the day the better sleep we get, due to the rise and fall of our temperature which strengthens our sleep system. For example, people often say that they feel down in the winter, due to the lack of sunlight which lifts our mood, the term for this is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  

We need to ensure that we set a regular pattern for going to be bed, and waking up in the mornings, you may not want to hear this but lying in does not help! Laying in at the weekend and trying to make up for lost sleep during the week disrupts your body temperature rhythms which knocks your sleep pattern out of sync; your body will naturally catch up. If you’re not tired, don’t go to bed! If you are awake in bed for longer than 30 minutes trying to sleep, get up, sit in a low light room and complete a simple task such as reading until you feel tired enough to sleep. 

Getting your sleeping pattern right takes practice and will not happen over a couple of nights, it is suggested that you need to stick to the pattern for at least ten nights to make a difference. If you feel yourself falling asleep before your allocated time, then going for a walk or complete a simple task. It is recommenced that you wind down 1-2 hours before going to bed, using the time for relaxation such as having a bath, meditation, reading or watching TV. Avoid any stress related activities such as work calls/emails, arguments, computers, phones or games consoles. 

After struggling to sleep, many people often need a nap throughout the day. In order that this does not interrupt your sleeping pattern it is suggested that you limit it to 15-45 minutes and do not nap past 1600pm. 

Evidence has suggested that a normal adult only needs 5-7 hours’ sleep per night to function, not the 8 hours that has always been stated. Completing a sleep record for 14 nights, recording sleeping time will allow you to identify how many hours your body requires.  

Foods to help induce sleep

· Fish

· Chickpeas

· Bananas 

· Yogurt 

· Warm milky drink 

· Tart Cherry Juice (Two glasses have been proven to beat insomnia

Foods that hinder sleep

· High in sugar foods

· Spicy Foods

· Foods that contain monosodium glutamate (Chinese)

· Cucumber

· Peanuts

· Fast Foods

· Alcohol

· Coffee and Tea

· Energy drinks

· Pork and Cheese due to their fat content 

Caffeine stimulates the Central Nervous System and should be avoided if you struggle with sleep or anxiety. It is recommenced that normal adults do not intake more than 100mg of Caffeine per day, but if you have depression, anxiety or insomnia it is recommenced to reduce this to the lowest possible level. It takes 10 hrs to leave the body, so it is advised that you do not drink caffeine after 1300pm. 

Caffeine contents: 

· Coffee – Filter 146mg

· Coffee – Instant 66mg

· Decaf Coffee – 4mg

· Tea Bag – 46mg

· Coca Cola 65mg 

· Chocolate 25mg

Remember to reduce your caffeine intake slowly to avoid the HEADACHE. 

If any need any further advice on this, nutritional or any other part of your fitness routines then drop me an email at james@jcperformancecoaching.co.uk or fill in the form on the website.