TIP 5: MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY
The daily tip for week 5 in your running journey is to make sleep a priority! While the culture around us does not necesarrily encourage a full nights rest, when exercising, sleep can be just as important as your workouts! When sleep is not prioritized, the quality of training, as well as many other areas of your life begin to fall apart. Because everybody is different, there is no set formula on how much sleep equals success. However, research does tell us that on average, each individual should receive between 7-9 hours of sleep at night.
When training for a race, receiving adequate sleep is as important as fueling your body with proper food. Lack of sleep often affects your daily routine, making it harder to concentrate on daily activities, increasing irritability, and impairing appetite choices. In addition, sleep is the time when the body repairs and regenerates damaged tissue from the day’s workout and builds bone and muscle to be ready for the next workout. A good way to determine if you are receiving enough sleep is to examine your life. If you find yourself yawning regularly, struggling to wake up, or becoming easily frustrated and irritable, you may need to prioritize your sleep better.
While there are many ways to prioritize sleep, it is important for everyone to remember a few guidelines when getting ready for bed!
TIPS FOR SLEEPING BETTER
1. Plan Your Bedtime: It has been said that failure to plan is planning to fail. If you do not plan a specific time for your head to hit the pillow, life will surely get in the way. Set a specific bed time that fits your nightly routines, and stick to it! Having this set time for bedtime will help you prioritize your sleep!
2. Set a Nightly Routine: Research suggests that children sleep better when their parents stick to a set bed time routine for them. The same is true for adults! While life will sometime get in the way, try your best to stick to a regular routine before you sleep.
3. Limit Screen Time: Within our overstimulating society, technology and screens are all around us! Because of this, we must be intentional with limiting our screen use (TV, IPHONE, IPAD, COMPUTER) within at least one hour of bed time. Replace the time you would normally be on your screens with other relaxing activities such as reading, stretching, or talking.
4. Limit Caffeine and Sugar: Are you having trouble sleeping? Look at what you’re eating before bed time! If you fill your body with sugar and caffeine hours within bed time range, your body will fight against settling down. Be intentional with fueling yourself with foods that will help you sleep.
This week, examine your life and ask yourself the question, “Do I prioritize my sleep?” If changes need to be made, follow the above tips, and make sleep a priority for you!