Yippee!! I got some sleep last night! I settled in with a giant cup of Sleepy Time Tea and gave myself a cut-off time on the computer. Between job hunting and blog researching and blog writing and bill paying and social media, I was letting my brain go wild and then expecting it to just shut off and go to sleep. What a doink! Having time to decompress before going to sleep is crucial for a good nights sleep. More on this below :)
The combo of no laptop and relaxing with my tea really worked, along with the fact the Ryan put on the World Series of Poker. I enjoy watching poker but it's not something that I feel I have stay up and watch so I dozed off quickly. I woke up this morning feeling fairly refreshed. I say fairly because I am not a morning person. As much as I have tried, it takes me a little while to fully wake up.
The combo of no laptop and relaxing with my tea really worked, along with the fact the Ryan put on the World Series of Poker. I enjoy watching poker but it's not something that I feel I have stay up and watch so I dozed off quickly. I woke up this morning feeling fairly refreshed. I say fairly because I am not a morning person. As much as I have tried, it takes me a little while to fully wake up.
I was out of greek yogurt this morning so I had some oatmeal. I added raisins and a spoonful of peanut butter and it was delish! So good that Ryan had to "try" it twice. I snacked on a pluot and some pistachios and then we went to lunch with Ryan's parents and Grandma. Standard Tuna sandwich! (Sorry, no picture of the sandwich).
Today at lunch I did some research on the importance of sleep for athletes. While I knew that a lack of sleep would negatively affect athletic performance, I did not know to what extent. I was shocked when I read this quote from an article on WebMD.com, "There are lab studies that show that if you're an eight-hour sleeper and you get six hours of sleep, that two hour difference can impact your performance so that it equates to how you would perform if you had a 0.05 blood alcohol level." For most people that is 2-3 drinks. It is crazy to think that the loss of an hour or two of sleep is comparable to functioning slightly buzzed the next day. For most of this week I have been running on maybe 4 hours of sleep! Sorry if I seemed out of it, I guess I was drunk on sleepiness.
Here is some science behind this. When we sleep our body goes through two different phases: REM and non-REM. REM sleep is basically when our brain restores itself and prepares for the next day, while non-REM sleep or the deep sleep phase, is when our body is restored. During this deep sleep phase the pituitary gland releases growth hormones that stimulate tissue growth and muscle repair. Throughout the night your body goes in and out of these phases, which is why a good eight hours is necessary to both fully restore your brain and your body. Source
Here are some tips to help get a good nights rest:
Last night I unknowingly did 4 of these!
Here is some science behind this. When we sleep our body goes through two different phases: REM and non-REM. REM sleep is basically when our brain restores itself and prepares for the next day, while non-REM sleep or the deep sleep phase, is when our body is restored. During this deep sleep phase the pituitary gland releases growth hormones that stimulate tissue growth and muscle repair. Throughout the night your body goes in and out of these phases, which is why a good eight hours is necessary to both fully restore your brain and your body. Source
Here are some tips to help get a good nights rest:
Last night I unknowingly did 4 of these!
- Create the proper environment: Cool, Dark, & Quiet - This should be obvious. No one likes to sleep while sweaty; light distracts us; and quiet is always better.
- Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine & Alcohol - Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 6 hours making your body want to stay awake, despite its need for sleep. People who smoke are four times more likely to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. While alcohol might help us fall asleep, it impairs the sleep cycle (from REM to non-REM) causing us to wake up still feeling tired.
- Eat Healthy and CrossFit - Eating healthy is a no brainer, just do it. As for CrossFit, I have never slept so well as after a tough CrossFit workout. I think its because you use up all your energy and your body is ready for sleep. Obviously, exercise in general will help you to get a good night's sleep. Just be careful not to do it right before bedtime as this will get your body pumping, the opposite of ready for sleep.
- Clear Your Mind - This was my issue! Do some stretching or yoga. Write in a journal to get all of your thoughts on paper. Take a look at your calendar and make any adjustments before you get into bed so that you do not have to worry about the next days tasks while trying to doze off. If you have had a stressful day, get in some exercise! This will help to alleviate some of the stress of the day.
- The 3 R's: Routine, Remove, Relax - Making a bedtime routine isn't just for little kids! It serves to prepare your body for rest. By trying to go to sleep around the same time and doing the same things before bed every night, your body starts to understand that reading and sleepy-time tea = bed time for bonzo! Remove anything from your room that distracts you from sleep, like laptops and TVs (whoops). Last but not least, do something relaxing before you go to sleep, not stimulating. Bubble-baths, reading, giving your girlfriend a massage, anything you can think of that will prepare yourself for a peaceful nights sleep. Source
After work I skipped yoga, but I did 20 minutes of yoga on my own. I did have to share my yoga mat with a friend. As soon as anything is placed on the floor, Pigs moves right to it and gets cozy.
One of the reasons that I love yoga is because you can do it anywhere. All you need is a mat! I felt much better afterwards as I was a little sore from last nights WOD at SUBU. It was 5 rounds of 10 Snatches & 10 Knees to Elbows. It was my first WOD with Snatches and boy did I make a lot of jokes about Snatches. I loved it!
Snatches are a power lifting move in which you lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one fluid motion. I do not quite have the rhythm down for a good snatch yet, so that in and of itself made the WOD difficult (I will refrain). On top of that I only used the barbell. Can't wait to add weight :/
Snatches are a power lifting move in which you lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one fluid motion. I do not quite have the rhythm down for a good snatch yet, so that in and of itself made the WOD difficult (I will refrain). On top of that I only used the barbell. Can't wait to add weight :/
Ok guys, dinners almost ready. My first time using the grill! I'll let you know how it goes. I'll leave you with a video of a girl with a great Snatch!!