3 ways to Improve Sleep Quality for Recovery

Have you ever gotten a full nights sleep and still woken up totally exhausted? Do you struggle to improve your sleep quality? Here's 3 easy ways to give yourself a better chance.

Maybe stress keeps you awake or instead of sleeping you spend all night tossing and turning. Maybe you just can't seem to get into a deep sleep.

Sleep hygiene is extremely important when it comes to the recovery process. Next time you find yourself in a bad cycle, try these 3 ways to improve your quality of sleep and increase your recovery.

1

Get exposure to sunlight EARLY.

Sunlight early in your day sets up circadian rhythms.

You've probably hear of circadian rhythms before, but if you aren't completely sure what exactly it means, let's explain: Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and are stimulated primarily by the first exposure to daylight.

Getting 10 minutes of natural light directly into your eyes early in the day sets up your circadian rhythm to normalize. This does not mean you need to be up a the crack of dawn, so if you aren't an early riser don't worry! But whatever early is for you, consider getting direct sunlight soon after waking.

2

Watch what you consume! This is kind of a loaded one...

Everyone's tolerance to caffeine is different, but one thing that can be said for certain - if you are having trouble falling or staying asleep you should avoid late caffeine consumption. Late is an arbitrary term, but most research suggests minimizing its use after 3pm. Don't get rid of your coffee if you need it...I don't want to be yelled at...

Certain supplements can help with the initiation and quality of sleep. Melatonin is one of those commonly overused "supplements" that probably isn't helping. To keep it simple - melatonin is actually a hormone and artificially introducing it can interrupt the ability to produce it naturally. A good alternative with regards to supplements would be: Magnesium Threonate (L-Threonate) OR Magnesium Bisglycinate Magnesium is used for so many functions in the body but these two versions supplements are the most beneficial when it comes to sleep and recovery.

3

Reduce screen time 90min before bed

In 2023 this may seem almost impossible. Blue light is all the craze and for a good reason. That circadian rhythm thing from point 1? Yeah, it's kickstarted by (natural) blue light. We don't want to be exposed to the thing that wakes us up too late at night. If there's no other option and you don't already use "night shift" - START! This feature reduces the blue light emitted by your screens.

Reducing screentime can help your mind settle down the for the night. If you have issues with stress or anxiety creeping in at night, try reading or another calming activity to help get you into a deeper sleep.

We hope these 3 tips helped. If they did, be sure to share this to someone else who may benefit.