We would die of sleep deprivation before we die of starvation
When you add to this the hunger, mood, fat gain, hormonal issues and strength loss it becomes pretty clear that good quality sleep is paramount to all of our goals we set in and out of the gym.
During my 15 years as a strength coach, personal trainer and BioSignature Practitioner I have had clients with some pretty major issues so I feel qualified to give my lovely members some tips for quality sleep that I have seen transform sleep patterns from 2 hours a night to a solid 8 hours.
I have also held many seminars on the subject of sleep and stress at many corporate clients across town so please get in touch if you want any more assistance adam@buzzgym.co.uk.
Sleep problems are often deeper issues than we cant cover in this article but certainly trying the below will aid sleep, promote lean muscle gains, increase fat loss and improve your whole quality of life!
1. Add a Carbohydrate into the last meal of the day Carbohydrates activates the Orexin pathway which makes us feel sleepy whilst various studies have been done on fast or slow release carbs before bed for overall sleep my advice is a small bowl of oats with almond milk or water is one of the best choices to improve initial sleep and overall quality of sleep.
2. Eat a high protein diet, a diet high in lean meats and fish will assist the brains neurochemistry throughout the day which in turn will help regulate cortisol ideally resulting in a yin effect in the evening allowing for a quicker switch off when going to bed.
3. Raise melatonin by drinking pure cherry juice studies conducted showed this resulted in better sleep quality and reduced inflammation.
4. Eggs in your last meal of the day Eggs are without doubt a superb food for general health (providing you are not intolerant) Eggs can be great for sleep as they hold a high amount of the amino acid Taurine which increases the neurotransmitter Gaba which calms the nervous system. They also contain phosphatidyl choline which assists in this process too.
5. Increase Magnesium this is my first tool in getting clients better sleep most are lacking adequate levels especially if you train hard. One of the best ways is to use a topical magnesium just before bed!
6. Try Ginseng tea before bed again this increases Gaba output – Chamomile also works well to calm the nervous system.
7. Try a glass of Red wine This is my clients favourite option! – a glass of Spanish Red wine holds lots of vitamin D and E which can keep you sleeping longer and deeper by raising antioxidant levels!
8. Think happy if you are watching a horror film or reading a newspaper which is typically depressing news then you are raising stress levels before bed and going against the natural cortisol curve that we want to see think happy, be satisfied and any issues you have get down on paper and out of the sub consciousness!
Sleep Well!
Adam Stowell
Advance & Buzz Gym owner
PICP National Strength Coach BioSignature Practitioner
