{"id":3468,"date":"2023-11-21T13:11:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T13:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecharlotteathlete.com\/?p=3468"},"modified":"2023-11-21T13:12:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T13:12:01","slug":"restoring-your-zzzs-your-guide-to-optimal-sleep-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecharlotteathlete.com\/restoring-your-zzzs-your-guide-to-optimal-sleep-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoring Your Zzz’s: Your Guide to Optimal Sleep Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you’re a gym rookie or a seasoned fitness fossil, you’re gonna face these burning questions sooner or later: What’s the magic protein number? Should focus on HIIT training or mix in more steady-state cardio? Do I need a supplement stash that rivals a small pharmacy? And the perennial head-scratcher: How many days a week is optimal to train?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amidst all this fitness chaos, we often forget about the unsung hero of well-being \u2013 sleep. Let’s face it, the choices we make today, including whether to hit snooze or not, determine where we’ll end up in the future.<\/strong> Let’s not be guy or gal that is busy deciphering cryptic supplement labels and completely overlooks the power of a solid night’s sleep. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is – so keep on reading!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fun fact: we spend a whopping 1\/3rd of our lives catching Z’s.<\/strong> Yep, that’s a whole lot of shut-eye, especially when we’re hustling to live are best and get ahead in life. But here’s the real kicker \u2013 this is prime time for our bodies to hit the reset button and recover. Poor sleep equals a poor recovery, and a poor recovery is like the kryptonite for top-notch performance. Unless, of course, you’re some kind of sleep ninja (but let’s be honest, that’s a long shot).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I’m not saying one lousy night of sleep will neccessarily crush performance, but string a bunch of those nights together over weeks, months, or years, and you might find yourself falling short of your goals.\u2026 or even worse, suffering an injury.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Quality sleep is not just a break for your body; it’s a crucial process intricately linked to the overall well-being of athletes<\/strong>. Optimal sleep, including sufficient REM and deep sleep cycles, not only plays a pivotal role in recovery, but also in consolidating memories, improving cognitive function, strengthening the immune system, regulating hormone production, and promoting mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of the recovery aspect, there is a direct link with pain and poor sleep<\/strong>. Evidence shows that people with poor sleep are more likely to report higher pain levels. So if your gym buddy is constantly complaining about pain (and yes, we all know at least 1), they\u2019re probably not sleeping too well either. Even worse, when pain is consistent and chronic, it can influence the surrounding muscles’ ability to work, holding us back in our workout, and making us under perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we\u2019re not trying to point any fingers or call you out, but if you notice yourself doing any of these or experiencing any of the follow, there’s a good chance you’re getting poor sleep:<\/p>\n\n\n\n