Fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up feeling more rested, recovered and recharged.
Understanding the role of sleep as a way for the body and mind to reboot, recharge, recover and rebuild.
The human organism is a complex and marvelous machine that can endure a wide variety of physical and mental challenges. The ability to survive and thrive depends upon an organism’s ability to handle challenges and maintain homeostasis of functional systems while sufficiently adapting to new physiological, biomechanical and mental stresses during periods of rest. If we cannot recover and remodel during our rest periods we will never be able to adapt to the stresses we face during the day. Ok, that was a mouthful, let’s simplify: During the day we face tests of our physical, mental and emotional systems. IE: We need to find food, water, shelter, work a 9-5 or 12 hour shift, maintain relationships, fight off threats to our wellbeing (dodging spam calls and emails) and manage a myriad of expectations on our time and attention.
Sleep is our chance to absorb the adaptation inputs from the experiences of the day and turn that into a more robust version of ourselves upon waking. IE: Waking up more prepared to face the challenges you faced the day before. If you mess up your sleep you wake up less prepared to face the challenges you faced yesterday.
Every cell in your body is affected by sleep. Without getting too deep in the scientific weeds, lets just say sleep is good for your body, mind and soul. Falling asleep faster, staying asleep longer and reaching sufficient levels of N3 deep sleep and REM sleep allow the body a fighting chance to adapt to the challenges you have endured during the day.
How to get a killer night’s sleep
Falling asleep faster, staying asleep longer and getting more restful sleep, generally requires a few conditions to be met: Follow good sleep hygiene protocols, ensure adequate nutrition and health promoting activities are part of your daily/weekly routine, and add in supportive nutritional interventions like Rack to maximize your sleep window. Additionally, there are some powerful measures you can take that hack the body’s natural sleep promoting mechanisms to help move the needle for sleep improvement.
7 techniques for a better night's sleep:
- Establish a regular sleep schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, can help regulate your body's internal clock and make it easier to fall asleep at night.
- Create a bedtime routine: Developing a relaxing pre-sleep routine, such as reading a book or taking a warm bath, can signal to your body that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
- Make your sleep environment comfortable: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature. A cool room between 60-67°F (15-19°C) is ideal for sleep. Use comfortable bedding and a supportive mattress to help you get a good night's sleep.
- Limit exposure to screens: The blue light emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and televisions can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. Try to avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol: These substances can disrupt sleep by interfering with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle. It's best to avoid them, especially in the evening.
- Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can help improve sleep quality, but try to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime as it can stimulate the body and make it harder to fall asleep.
- Take a tryptophan rich alpha-lactalbumin / Tart cherry blend like Rack, 1 hour before bed to maximize your natural serotonin/melatonin production and reduce the effects of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and help your body recover faster.
How can a nutritional intervention help me fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and get more restful sleep?
Alpha-lactalbumin is a protein found in milk that has been studied for its potential benefits for sleep. Several studies have suggested that consuming foods or supplements containing alpha-lactalbumin which is naturally rich in the amino acid tryptophan may positively affect the serotonergic pathway leading to an increase the levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin in the body, which can help with falling asleep faster. Tart cherry has also been studied for its potential benefits for sleep. Tart cherry juice is rich in anthocyanins and melatonin, which is a hormone that helps regulate the body's sleep-wake cycle. Some studies have suggested that drinking tart cherry juice or taking a tart cherry supplement may help reduce inflammation and increase the levels of melatonin in the body, which can help with falling asleep faster and improving sleep length and quality.
You do your part we will do the rest! Let Rack help you maximize your down time so you can get after your best self and make the most of your day!
