The Importance of Getting Enough Sleep for Recovery
How often have you ignored sleeping on time to work or spend time scrolling through your feed on social media platforms? You go to your bed on time but end up spending hours glued to your phone screen.
Not just that, people often ignore sleep because they are focused on tough workouts and strict diets. Remember, lack of proper nutrients can lead to insomnia. So, do not run very low on carbs. Always consult your personal trainer in London before making drastic changes to your diet.
Sleep is important for recovery. When you sleep, your body fixes itself. It repairs damaged tissues and rejuvenates your mind.
Clearing Up Fitness and Sleep Misconceptions
A lot of people believe that ignoring tiredness and skipping sleep are signals that indicate how tough they are. They think that it’s a measure of their strength and vigor.
But that’s not true.
While strenuous workouts are important, not getting enough sleep can actually slow down progress and even lead to feeling burned out.
Understanding How the Human Body Works
The human body releases several chemicals within the bloodstream during sleep. The Growth Hormone is one such important hormone that is released during sleep. It is vital to muscle recovery and growth. If you believe that your body will respond positively to heavy workout and training without adequate sleep, then you are wrong. Without enough sleep, your body will fail to release enough growth hormone, leading to slow recovery.
So, what actually happens when you sleep? Well, when you sleep, the level of cortisol decreases while the level of melatonin, the sleep hormone, increases. Melatonin increases your quality of sleep. Creating a relaxing environment and switching lights off increases melatonin secretion, which triggers your brain to make you feel sleepy.
So, what should you do to get quality sleep?
First things first, if you’re serious about fitness, it’s crucial to develop a regular sleep routine. Try to get 7-9 hours of good sleep every night to accelerate recovery from strenuous workouts. Also, make sure your room environment is comfortable and relaxing to guide your brain to relax.
Practical Tips for Better Sleep and Recovery
Try these simple tips to develop a healthy sleeping habit:
- Stick to a Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. A lot of people tend to wake up late watching movies or enjoying late-night parties and this breaks your schedule.
- Create a Relaxing Bedroom Environment: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cozy when you go to bed. It takes some time for your brain and body to adapt. If you keep bright lights on or watch your mobile phone and laptop, you are not training your brain to sleep on time.
- Reduce Screen Time: Avoid screens before bed. The blue light emitted from mobile phones and laptop screens can disrupt your body’s natural sleep rhythms.
- Try Relaxation Techniques: Practice deep breathing, meditation, or gentle stretching to relax your body and mind before sleep.
- Limit Caffeine and Alcohol: Cut back on caffeine and alcohol, especially before bedtime. Caffeine makes you feel energetic and awake. Alcohol consumption may lead you to believe that it makes you feel drowsy, but, in reality, it interferes with your quality of sleep. You will wake up exhausted the next morning.
Our personal trainer London strongly recommends every client to inculcate healthy sleep habits. Talk to our expert to create a fitness plan for you and suggest exercises and ideas that can offer you good sleep quality.