Recovery is a big part of what I do. It's the piece of training that's become more and more important not only as we get older, but as training ramps up. When we think about recovery today you might think about all the fancy forms that have come along from cryotherapy to personal massage guns. The most important one though that we often think about the least is the OG essential: sleep.
For me sleeps never been a huge issue; I'm not a night person so crawling into bed to get those eight to ten hours is easy. But it's not just about getting in the hours or the quantity of sleep it's about the quality too. Here are some of the tips and tricks I've been using to optimize my time in the bedroom
All Black Everything
Whether it's a blackout curtain or an eye mask keeping it dark is crucial for a good night's sleep. Personally, I'm not a blackout curtain person. As much as I like it dark at night there's something about sunlight in the morning peeking through the blinds and through my fuzzy cat eye mask that just feels like the right way to start the day. Unlike blackout curtains that can cost you upwards of $40 and installation eye masks are an easy, affordable option. My fuzzy cat eye mask might not be for everyone, but satin eye masks are a popular option, and if you're someone who moves a lot while you sleep you might try out a weighted mask.
Check these options out: Kitsch Satin (above) / Weighted lavander
Keep the bedroom for sleeping only
I'm not going to lie this one is hard for me because I do like curling up to some Netflix or Hulu at the end of the day. However, keeping your bedroom just for sleep helps reinforce a bedtime routine, something I learned from the recovery experts at Under Armour's Run Summit this past Spring. Part of keeping the bedroom just for sleep is banishing the electronics from the room. As we all know by now laptops, phones, and TVs in our bedrooms are distractions not only to whatever we're trying to get done during the day but to our sleep as well. Devices emit blue light and blue light can disrupt sleep by tricking your eyes into thinking it's daylight and reducing melatonin levels. To help ditch the habit try installing a bedtime mode on your phone, mines set roughly an hour and a half before when I go to sleep, and keep it outside the bedroom at night. For Bridgerton bingers (I finished in less than 24 hours and have zero shame) try some blue light blocking glasses.
Chill Out
Speaking of the bedroom keeping it cooler can actually help your body get ready for sleep. In correspondence with our body's production of melatonin at night comes a slight dip in our temperature. Keeping the bedroom cool similar to keeping the room dark can help reinforce this natural process and allow for an easier onset of sleep. While the perfect temperature for you may vary, experts recommend between 60° F and 67 ° F.
UA recovery sleepwear
I'll take any advantage I can get when it comes to performance and recovery and UA usually has a solution. Their recovery sleepwear is specifically designed to help your muscles recover faster through their fabric that's lined with minerals to return infrared energy back to your body. I'm partial to the shorts myself.
Melatonin or Magnesium
If you look at my bedside table when I'm traveling you'll probably see some melatonin along with that cat sleep mask. When Claudia and I are roommates it's more like 2-3 bottles of melatonin, sleep masks, earplugs, and toe spacers (yes, we take our bedtimes seriously). While I try to avoid melatonin on a normal night, sleeping in a strange place requires an exception especially when I'm typically racing late in the evening and trying to force myself to sleep in (and deeply) the night prior.
When melatonin isn't part of my nighttime routine there's another vitamin on deck; magnesium. Magnesium is crucial in muslce, nerve, and energy production as well as oxygen intake and is one of the five essential electrolytes. It's been known to help prevent cramping as well as relax the muslces making it the perfect night time cocktail after a long day. Speaking of cocktails lately instead of popping my magnesium I've been sipping on Nuun rest before bed. The blackerry vanilla flavor sounds a little weird and smells a little bit like a body spray from middle school, but the taste is great. If supplements aren't you're thing you can always add this into you dinner/ bedtime snack routine.
Natural sources of magnesium include:
🥬dark, leafy greens
🌰nuts
🍓berries
🍫dark chocolate
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