Sleep: Key to Performance and Wellness

   Sleep is obviously an issue close to the heart of most Masters athletes as it becomes more of an issue for many of us as we get older. It is part of the aging process for us.
   First, we will talk about why sleep is so important. Too many people in our culture give sleep short shrift and there is even an element of "toughness" to those who brag about how little sleep they get by on a regularly.
   But there are very few true "short" sleepers who can get by on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. And the health repercussions of chronic lack of sleep are many:

• Lack of sleep or poor sleep leads to impaired recovery
• Cognitive ability and mood is profoundly impacted by poor sleep
• Your immune system will be compromised by poor sleep
• It will be virtually impossible to have good hormone regulation without good, sound sleep

Together those 4 factors are a perfect storm to create havoc with your health and wellness let alone trying to perform optimally.

   So what are some easy to implement steps to improve your own sleep? Try implementing some of these if you haven't already:

• Black out the room. Light stimulates the retina and thus the brain. We are talking as close to pitch black as possible.
• Cool off the room...think primal. Somewhere in the range of 67-70 degrees seems optimal.
• Set a cut off time for all electronics...TV, music, smart phone, etc. At least 30-60 minutes before your planned bed time. Again, these devices stimulate the brain and thus are detrimental to getting to sleep.
• Calm your mind and body. They are linked, integrated and don't work in isolation from one another. So whether that means yoga, TM, deep breathing, whatever works for you to allow you to relax.
• Cut off time for Food: hard to sleep well if your digestive system is working overtime to digest a big meal. Again, it's highly individual but somewhere between 1-2 hours before bed time is a good start.

     What can we do in terms of food and supplements to enhance our sleep in a non-narcotic, drug way?

• First and foremost is good, clean nutrition and good hydration. That means if it doesn't have a Mother or come from the Earth think twice about eating it as far as food goes. And 70-80% of your hydration should be water. The rest should be unsweetened teas (perhaps coffee).
• Magnesium: it's a mineral that many people are deficient in and it's impact ranges from workout recovery to better sleep. It can be taken in capsule, powder or applied topically.
• Melatonin: again, a natural, non-narcotic supplement that is a good sleep aid.

   So I hope this post helps you out in an area, sleep, that is often taken for granted by many people and not given it's proper place in optimal wellness and performance. Next to nutrition it is the most important thing you can do to live better and function at your best. 

Work hard and train smart!

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