27 Sep The Easiest Way to Increase Performance
Sleep More… The post could end now, but instead I will try to delve into strategies and tips to help get that extra shut eye.
When you are a novice athlete increases in performance will come easily. However, as proficiency builds those gains become more and more difficult to attain. Simply showing up to practice is not enough. Sessions need to be aligned with times of peak performance for your body and mind so you can gain the most value out of your sessions. Maximizing the amount and quality of your sleep is one of the biggest keys to having long term success. More importantly, it is an advantage that can be gained passively in many cases. There is no need to change schedule simply take some steps to improve the environment in which you sleep. First, the easy changes will be covered, then the more difficult.
PASSIVE
- Blackout Curtains – A one time purchase and once you have them they immediately pay benefits in terms of darkening the room so you can fall asleep faster, get better sleep quality, and stay in bed longer when you don’t have an alarm.
- Tape – Black electrical tape is incredible cheap and if there are any small lights in your room that stay lit up, simply put a small piece of tape over them… problem solved. Room darker = sleep better
- Alarm Clock with no ambient light – Rather than have an alarm clock that stays lit all night, or use your phone. Simple get a simple alarm clock that can go completely dark. Once again the more you can keep the room dark the better. For example.
ACTIVE
- No Electronics in the room – This is not a one time deal. This is an overall lifestyle change. Anything that plugs into the wall should ideally not be in the room you sleep in. This is especially true for TVs, phones, and laptops.
- Do not look at screens before bed – Set a time each night as the official bedtime. From there, back plan out some time where you no longer look at screens. This could be a half hour or even two hours, whatever works for your schedule, but set a plan and forget it.
- Caffeine – The earlier you stop taking stimulants the better the overall sleep quality. This includes any pre-workouts as well. Ideal is to pull off stimulants no later than 10 hours before bed.
- Candles – Switching from light bulbs to candles before bed will make a huge difference. This one takes some commitment, but is worthwhile for sure.
- Routine – Now that the environment is right for sleeping the last step is to get into a routine to fall asleep. The same way you stretch and prepare for a hard workout, you will need to get ready for recovery time as well to maximize the benefit. This can look however you want, but stretching, breathing exercises, or meditation are all great ways to fill the gap between when all screens are switched off and when you lay down.
Not convinced this will help you? Simply invest in the passive strategies and see how sleep changes and how your body responds. The early benefits most people see will justify delving deeper down the rabbit hole in search of greater gains.