Get a Sleep Plan

 

I can tell you that I was struggling with sleep. Anything between two to four hours a night was the norm. It had been like that for so long I just thought, “that’s how things are,” and accepted it.

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Don’t accept poor sleep as just part of your life. Like many people my life was full and with no time to switch off or take time to recover.

I am changing things. No big things, just focusing on small changes, measuring the impact and adapting if needed. These things will be personal to you, however, here are some solid starting points to work on improving.

  1. Aim to go to bed at the same time each evening.

  2. Establish some type of bedtime ritual.

  3. Don’t sleep on a heavy meal or feeling hungry.

  4. Keep your bedroom at a cooler temperature than the rest of the house at night.

  5. Keep caffeine at a minimum, avoid it after 2:00pm.

It is widely recognised medically that as adults our bodies require an average of seven to nine hours of sleep a day. It has been shown that consistently only achieving low levels of sleep can lead to issues such as inflammation, decreased immunity, and increased risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

There are a number of apps available to track sleep that will provide really useful feedback on you sleep each night. Check them out and find the one that suites you. My personal choice is ‘AutoSleep’.

We need to take our sleep seriously, just as much as having good exercise and eating habits. The above may not change you sleep overnight, however, over time the changes you make will improve the quality of your sleep and move yourself closer to achieving your health goals.

Now I’m getting around eight hours on average each night (and have done for over a week now) and my body and mind feels better as as result.

Train to sleep and yourself up for a good night. We may not be sleep therapist, however a balance of exercise and nutrition with the ideas above will go a long way to getting it right.

If you need help, we are here. It’s our job. Schedule an appointment with a CrossFit Ickenham staff member (here) and start building that life full of positiveness for you and your family.

  

Andy
CrossFit Ickenham
STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY

 
Andy Stewart