The Best Kept Secret For a Good Workout: What You Need Before
August 21, 2017
Author: Beautyrest Team
There's nothing like a good night's sleep. It restores your body and your mind. But did you know that the quality of your sleep can have a huge impact on your workout performance? Sleep researcher and co-author of the book, "Sleep for Success," Dr. Rebecca Robbins notes the important role that sleep plays for athletes, "Sleep provides the opportunity for the body to undergo muscular regeneration, repairing micro-tears imposed from athletic training of all degrees." Before your next downward dog, marathon run or high-impact workout, consider the effects that lack of sleep can have on the quality of your physical activities, including:
Lackluster Performance
Many people don't realize how closely tied workout performance and endurance are to the quality of your sleep. No matter what type of workout you prefer, if you're not properly rested, you're likely to suffer from a lack of power output, which means you might not be able to hold your plank as long or sustain the level of necessary endurance for a long run, weight lifting session or high-intensity workout. The Better Sleep Council points out that getting enough sleep keeps your body running at peak performance, with enhanced fat burning and tissue rejuvenation, making sleep "an important daily medicine" for your body.
Sluggishness
We've all been there " you'd rather hit the snooze button or procrastinate over your morning coffee than hit the gym. But a lack of sleep also puts you at risk for low energy levels, poor concentration and focus, and fatigue that will prevent you from giving your all. According to Shape, this overall sluggishness may well be caused by a decrease in your body's energy-regulating hormone called leptin. In addition, you might feel hungrier than normal due to increases in your body's production of the hunger-stimulating hormone known as ghrelin.
Lack of Sleep and Overall Health
Although you won't feel terrific the day after one night of poor sleep, your overall health and workout performance shouldn't suffer dramatically. Chronic sleep loss, on the other hand, does not only wreak havoc on your workouts, it also increases your probability of gaining weight. Research suggests that in addition to stimulating your appetite, sleep loss boosts your cravings for fatty, high-carbohydrate food, which can seriously derail your fitness goals over time.
How to Improve Your Sleep Performance
Dr. Robbins suggests that establishing a consistent sleep schedule is essential. "A consistent pattern of bed and rising times will allow you to maintain your circadian rhythm, improve the quality of your sleep and make it easier to fall asleep at night," she says. Additionally, The Better Sleep Council suggests that repeating the same steps every night sends signals to your body that it's time to sleep, which makes it easier to relax your mind and body.
No matter how soothing your sleep ritual may be, if you're lying on a lumpy, bumpy mattress, your sleep will suffer. As an athlete, you know that technology can help maximize your physical performance. Why not apply that logic to your mattress? High-performance sleep comes from high-performance mattresses like Beautyrest Black, with innovative technology such as:
- Unparalleled comfort: Beautyrest Black is where technology and luxury intertwine to take you far beyond mere comfort. It's about sleep that indulges the senses. Sleep that refuses to compromise.
- Stellar support: Beautyrest's Advanced Support System's patented triple-stranded Pocketed Coil Technology delivers pressure relief and individualized back support to promote proper sleeping posture.
- Cool Comfort: Micro Diamond and BlackICE memory foam applies a new breathable gel technology to the surface designed to help provide an ideal sleep climate.
Performance matters. Get better sleep and you might just get more out of your workouts.
Sources:
http://www.tabatatimes.com/sleep-how-sleep-can-impact-your-performance-in-the-gym/
http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/your-brain-no-sleep
http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/will-one-night-poor-sleep-affect-your-workout
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#3
http://www.marthastewart.com/1079673/five-questions-sleep-expert-rebecca-robbins
