Hi guys, I have a post in collaboration with Noah Sparrow for you today about the importance of sleep for recovery. Hope you enjoy!
We all know that getting a decent amount of sleep is essential for a healthy lifestyle. And anyone who’s taken part in the Stubbington 10k race will know how a lovely bed is a particularly welcome prospect after the race.
But what is it about sleep that is so good for helping us feel so refreshed after a particularly brutal bout of exercise? I’m sure I’m not the only one who has suffered from the occasional troubled night’s sleep, so I’ve been doing some research to see how sleep functions and how I can maximise my time in bed!
It’s interesting to find that even today we still don’t know why we sleep. But anyone who’s experienced bouts of sleeplessness will understand how sleep plays a huge part in helping our brains and our bodies recover from their daily rigours.
By having a dedicated period when we are allowed to rest, it enables our bodies to clear out toxins and rebuild any damaged cells. And seeing how exhausted we feel after a proper workout session, it’s clear that a decent dose of sleep is essential to stop our bodies falling apart!
There have also been studies that have shown that sleep deprivation can increase the risks of heart disease and strokes, so I’ve been thinking about ways that I can boost my chance of catching up on sleep.
Thankfully, some studies have shown that consistent exercise eventually helps our sleeping habits, but just in case I lapse in my exercise, I’ve been checking some alternative sleeping options.
So as well as trying to avoid the melatonin-draining artificial lights emitted by television and computer screens late at night, I’ve been inspecting some of the stylish beds at Bedstar to see which one is best suited to my sleeping style. Some of the calming grey styles will be pretty well-suited to my interior scheme, and they prove that maybe grey is the new black!
I’m something of a light sleeper, so whether it’s investing in a decent memory foam mattress, or even getting one of those fancy white noise generators to mask the noise of the street, I’m going to make sure that 2017 is all about getting some decent rest.
So although the scientists still might not know exactly why we sleep, it looks like with a nice new bed from Bedstar, plenty of exercise and a little digital assistance, I should be able to catch some zzz’s this year!
How much sleep do you get a night?
Do you prefer a soft or hard mattress?
Are you light sleeper?
I have heard about those white noise machines but I would not want that much of a crutch- I have never been a good sleeper and when I was younger I used to play talk radio to help me get to sleep. Even now if I struggle I put on a podcast in my headphones to help me focus on something. I have an eye mask to keep out light, and we now have thicker curtains which helps.
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…Local parkrun tourism and baking book decisions
This is such an important topic! I use an air purifier on the high setting as a white noise maker and it has helped immensely. Also having a very dark room helps! I used to be a horrible sleeper but once I learned to be a less anxious person, my sleep woes disappeared!
Elizabeth C. recently posted…Myrtle Beach Marathon Training: 6 weeks to go!