EVERYTHING SLEEP! The 3 Best Ways To Get a Better Night of Rest

I know for us Parents this is the hardest thing in the world but what if I told you that I believe sleep is even MORE important than the food you eat for you to get the body, energy and performance you want in life?

Seems pretty important right? Let me explain to you what happens while you sleep.

There are a number of different hormones released during sleep, all with different purposes. Melatonin, released by the pineal gland, controls your sleep patterns. Levels increase at night time, making you feel sleepy. While you’re sleeping, your pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which helps your body to grow and repair itself.

During sleep, your sympathetic nervous system – which controls your fight or flight response – gets a chance to relax. Studies have shown that when we’re deprived of sleep, sympathetic nervous system activity increases, which is also mirrored by an increase in blood pressure. Scientists studying coronary disease are investigating whether there’s a relationship between decreased sleep duration and increased risk of heart disease.

Levels of cortisol, often called the stress hormone, decreases during the first few hours of sleep before rising to peak soon after you wake up. This helps makes you feel perky when you wake up and switches on your appetite.

Without sleep your bodies ability to repair, grow muscle, lose fat, feel energized all decrease.
So how much do you need? First I’d say 30 minutes more than your getting right now, unless you’re in bed for 9 hours and getting 8 quality hours out of that. The magic formula seems to be 8 quality hours. I’d also say going to bed a bit earlier is your best bet because most people are cutting it too close in the morning as it is. Plus nothing good ever happens late at night, that’s when most people either drink or snack!

So here are 3 ways and 2 Supplements I use to get a quality night sleep!

1. Our room is pitch black and we have blackout blinds. Research shows that people who sleep in a completely dark room get longer better quality sleep.

2. Our room is cool, ever tried to sleep in humidity? Its the WORST!!! Sleeping in a cool room with a blanket allows your body temperature to stay at a place that allows you to stay in a deep sleep for a longer period without interference.

3. NO Electronics, NO TV’s and NO Blue lights in the bedroom or before sleep. Blue lights in our phones and computers can make it harder for us to get tired and fall asleep because we perceive it as sunlight in a more active part of our day. TV’s in the bedroom start to make us associate our bedroom as somewhere activity happens and not sleep. Your bedroom should be a place your body can relax and go to bed.

I’ve been taking a 2 supplement approach to my bed time routine that I’ve been getting AWESOME results with! I take a teaspoon of Calm Magnesium in 1/2 cup of Tart Cherry Juice to get a double whammy of recovering sleep. I take it 30 mins before bed. Here’s why.
 

Tart cherries are naturally rich in melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleepiness.They also contain a good amount of tryptophan and anthocyanins, two compounds that may help the body create melatonin and lengthen its effects.Research shows that supplementing with tart cherry juice increases levels of melatonin and helps improve sleep quality and duration.
 

In one study, runners given 16 ounces (480 ml) of cherry juice in the days leading up to and immediately following a marathon experienced less muscle damage, soreness and inflammation. They also recovered faster. Similar results have been observed after supplementing daily with 480 mg of tart cherry powder  Tart cherry juice and supplements may increase muscle strength.

One group of men was given tart cherry supplements or a placebo in the days leading up to and immediately following an intense resistance training session.

The tart cherry group lost up to 4% less muscle strength as a result of the training when compared to men given the placebo.Tart cherry supplements may also reduce muscle breakdown, muscle soreness and speed up recovery in resistance-trained individuals.

You can get you Tart Cherry Juice right here through this link delivered right to your door TART CHERRY JUICE

 

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. It plays several important roles in the health of your body and brain. About 60% of the magnesium in your body is found in bone, while the rest is in muscles, soft tissues and fluids, including blood. In fact, every cell in your body contains it and needs it to function.

Here’s what it does 

  • Energy creation: Helps convert food into energy.
  • Protein formation: Helps create new proteins from amino acids.
  • Gene maintenance: Helps create and repair DNA and RNA.
  • Muscle movements: Is part of the contraction and relaxation of muscles.
  • Nervous system regulation: Helps regulate neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system.

Most hard working people don’t have enough in their diet, I like Calm Mag which you can buy right here and have delivered to you CALM-MAGNESIUM

If you wan to learn more about how your sleep effects you on a daily basis, I’ve been reading this book called The Circadian Code. Amazing information and super enlightening. If your a reader I highly recommend it, Grab your copy here
THE CIRCADIAN CODE

If you enjoy our emails and this information please help spread the word and send to a friend! You can follow my recovery journey online by following me on Instagram @radixdan or adding me as a friend on Facebook Daniel Thiessen. My goal is to give people informative knowledge on health and nutrition that can help you live a better, healthier and more energized life!30 minutes more sleep each day, that’s the goal this week, let me know how you feel!

-Coach Dan