Tips….For a better sleep part 2….

* Sleeping Environment

 

You can think of the ideal sleeping environment as cave-like.

 

*Quiet

*Cool

*Dark

*and comfortable (ok, I don’t know how comfortable a cave would be.  But you get the point.)

 

The following pieces of kit may help you achieve this cave-like environment so it might be worth investing in if you live in a noisy area, have lots of light filtering into your room or have a bright alarm clock etc.

 

*An eye mask, light-blocking blinds, electric shutters, earplugs, a fan, air con, a white noise machine/app.

 

Whilst comfort will obviously come down to your personal preferences, investing in a comfy mattress/pillows, reguarly washing your bed sheets and making sure you feel safe and secure in your room are important things to consider.

 

There’s not a great deal more to add on the sleeping environment front.

 

* Avoid going to bed on a full or empty stomach….

 

* Don’t force it…… if you have been in bed 20-30 minutes and haven’t fallen asleep, get up.  Go to another room but don’t turn on the TV, just go sit in a separate room with dim/no lights.  When you feel tired enough to sleep, go back to bed.  This helps the mind link sleep with bed.  Don’t look at the clock!  You will have an emotional reaction no matter what time it is.

 

To round things off, crappy sleep sucks, not just because it will leave you feeling like the living dead the next day, but it may also get in the way of your preformance in the gym, fat loss and gains granted.  There are times there’s no getting round a period of substandard sleep, but by digesting the above and my part 1 on sleep, and putting some of the strategies into place, you’ll be able to start getting your sleep and recovery back on point.

 

So to recap the main points……………………….

 

Sleep environment….

 

*  Make it cave-like.  This is : Quiet, Cool, Dark and Comfortable.

 

*  Don’t skimp on comfort.  You spend 1/3 of your life asleep, so invest in things that will optimise your cosiness.

 

Pre-Sleep behaviours…..

 

*  Think nutrition, light and schedule.

 

*Nutrition – minimise caffeine and alcohol close to bed time and play around with meal timings, and other strategies to see what works well for you.

 

*  Light – get outside in the morning to expose yourself to sunlight and minimise light exposure 1-2 hours pre-bed.

 

*  Scheule – stick to a regular sleeping pattern and schedule in relaxing pre-bed activities like meditation or stretching.

 

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These are some of the strategies I’ve personally used myself and with clients to great success.

 

So if you’re keen to build muscle, lose body fat or get a six pack by nailing not only your training and nutrition but your recovery too.  Fire an email over to me at : Louise@fnltransformation.com.

 

Talk Soon Ladies

 

Have a great week.

 

– Louise

Fitness & Nutrition Coach

FNL TRANSFORMATION