What is the best piece of equipment to use to lose fat and build muscle? We all have access to this piece of equipment. If you haven’t guessed it yet, it’s SLEEP. Yes, REST.
It’s not rocket science or some quick fix but getting proper amounts of sleep and good rest will help you lose fat, build muscle, and recover more quickly from workouts, injuries, and sickness. One of my favorite Scriptures is Proverbs 3:24.
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”
There are many more verses in the Bible that talk about rest, sleep, or trusting in the Lord. I encourage you to look some up and read them from time to time. However, I want to share with you my experiences through TIPS.
NAPS
When I was a little kid, I fought taking naps. Now that I am much, much older I wish I could have back all those nap times I skipped as a kid. Trust me, a nap feels great and I try to get a nap each day from 30 minutes to 2 hours long. I find that about 1 ½ hours after I swim or lift I tend to get very sleepy. I’ve tried to fight these heavy eyes but at some point I need to stop fighting and just give in to it. Sure, I've tried coffee and walking around the house, but as soon as I sit on the couch my body has other plans for my eyelids. Science has revealed that each of us have a four part sleep cycle and the best lengths of time for refreshing naps are 25-40 minutes; however, if you have time for longer naps an ideal length is a full 90 minutes because that is how long it takes to complete one full sleep cycle. What I can share with you from my experience is that 25-40 minute mark works amazingly well to refresh me. If I get 90 minutes or more I feel super rested, but I have also found that I can only do the long naps before 2PM because long naps any later than that truly end up messing with my night time sleep rhythm.
Tips To Taking Naps Or Going To Sleep
Until next time grab a FREE Refill of the King's Brew @ the Soul Cafe.
When I was a little kid, I fought taking naps. Now that I am much, much older I wish I could have back all those nap times I skipped as a kid. Trust me, a nap feels great and I try to get a nap each day from 30 minutes to 2 hours long. I find that about 1 ½ hours after I swim or lift I tend to get very sleepy. I’ve tried to fight these heavy eyes but at some point I need to stop fighting and just give in to it. Sure, I've tried coffee and walking around the house, but as soon as I sit on the couch my body has other plans for my eyelids. Science has revealed that each of us have a four part sleep cycle and the best lengths of time for refreshing naps are 25-40 minutes; however, if you have time for longer naps an ideal length is a full 90 minutes because that is how long it takes to complete one full sleep cycle. What I can share with you from my experience is that 25-40 minute mark works amazingly well to refresh me. If I get 90 minutes or more I feel super rested, but I have also found that I can only do the long naps before 2PM because long naps any later than that truly end up messing with my night time sleep rhythm.
Tips To Taking Naps Or Going To Sleep
- Set a timer:
This should be a given. Alarms are your naps and sleepy-time best friends. Did you know that iPhone’s built-in in snooze alarm is only set for 9 minutes. SERIOUSLY! 10 minutes is way too long and 8 minutes is extremely too short. The people at Apple have spent a lot of money and time researching this and I was baffled years ago when I first bought an iPhone. - Get 7-8 hours of sleep:
I did an informal survey of my friends on Facebook and found that 75% of those who responded to my question “How much sleep a night do you get?” answered with 7-8 hours of sleep per night. While 20% commented 5-7 hours per night, and a whopping 5% commented that they get 3-5 hours per night. While a good majority of these friends do not workout regularly in the gym, they tend to be busy in their lives and a few that I know personally have medical tested sleeping issues. All-in-all, people surveyed tended to be in the “normal” range. - Stop using electronics at least 1 hr before bed:
Oh my goodness, this has been so helpful to my family. The youngest one likes video games and media so much that it has caused a short attention span. He is so much better off and gets a great night's sleep when his screen time has been limited. - Use Melatonion:
This helps slow down the over-stimulation that your brain receives by the use of too much media or “screen time.” So I use Melatonion when my mind keeps hashing things out from the day. It helps me fall asleep faster. Also, it’s recommended not to take more than 10mg. I bought almost a year’s supply from www.puritan.com at a very low cost. It is strawberry flavor and it dissolves on your tongue. - Stretch your body:
I thought this was common sense but I didn’t actually see benefits from this until I tried it and made it a part of my everyday routine. Now, I tend to stretch before bed and when I get up in the morning. - Empty your bladder.
As a child, I was taught that before you leave the house to go somewhere, and especially before you go to bed for the night, to empty out your bladder - Untuck your sheets.
When you have tucked in sheets and the corners are tight you cause your ankles to be bent in a bad position and cause discomfort as you sleep. - Cool Temperature
It is a scientifically proven fact that if the room you’re sleeping in is cool, the body recovers faster and you get better rest than being in a warm room. - Dark Room
A darkened room helps you fall asleep faster. If you have ever had the work the night shift you know that if your room isn’t darkened you have a terrible time getting quality rest. The body has a natural rhythm. God has internally set us to be workers in the day and sleepers at night. I know this for 100% fact. Please trust me when I tell you that a darkened room is a much needed thing if you work the night shift. My experience with shift work over the years has taught me a great deal about sleeping and how to get proper rest.
- Go to bed earlier:
I never thought I would like going to bed at 9pm as an older adult. I remember in my 20’s and 30’s going to bed at 11PM, most of the time, and I was still up and awake by 6-6:30AM.
- Turn a light on:
I find that I won’t go back to bed if I turn my night stand lamp on once the alarm has gone off. Sure I may hit snooze two times, but l've definitely found that the light helps me get up even if I don’t want to “ADULT” that day.
- Stay up:
If you get up to empty your bladder before your alarm goes off, just stay up. I have tried to lay back down to get that last few minutes in, but it doesn't work. Something about it makes me end up cranky and nobody in my home likes a cranky “MATTMAN” in the morning.
Until next time grab a FREE Refill of the King's Brew @ the Soul Cafe.
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