Sleep: How much do we need?

Sleep is a vital key to recovery and overall health, especially for those who are training. As you sleep, your blood pressure decreases, your breathing becomes slower, muscles become relaxed and blood supply to muscle increases. This all leads to greater tissue growth and muscle repair. According to the national sleep foundation we spend up to one third of our lives asleep. I know for myself, I need my sleep and I know when I haven’t slept well when I am reaching for my second cup of coffee before 10am.

Most of us are not getting the recommended amount of sleep per night. This can be affected by stimulants such as consuming coffee, energy drinks, alarm clocks, external lights especially those from electronic devices. These factors have an effect on our circadian rhythm or our internal sleep cycle. There are apps for both cell phones and computers that reduce the blue light lessening its effect on our eyes after the sun has set. Utilizing these apps can aid in reducing the effect that the blue light has on our bodies especially late at night.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your sleep:

Here are a few tips to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep:

Now power down those electronics, relax and hit the hay!