Sleep and the Fitness Life By Elite Body Squad Brand Ambassador Stuart Tickner
Sleep for me is one of the most important training tips going.
All the structured training programmes and steady diets are all very important, of course, but if you do not get enough sleep every night, and are not functioning 100%, then all the structure is for nothing.
For my own training I need a good 7 - 8 hours sleep, otherwise I just feel fatigued before I even start lifting. As a result I don’t lift the same weights, and because the weight drops I feel as though I’m not moving forward in my training. This has a knock on effect mentally.
But all said and done, it’s not just the amount of sleep you get which determines muscle growth / weight loss or whatever your goal is, it’s just a small link in the chain.
As everyone knows, your diet plays one of the most important roles. And again for me personally, a good clean diet helps aid sleeping; I don’t like to eat too late as I want the food to settle before I sleep.
Along with this, I like to drink at least a pint of water before I go to bed to help prevent me from getting dehydrated during the night.
Here are my top 3 tips for a good night’s sleep...
1. Always have water before or next to your bed
2. Sleep with the window open, even in the winter, get some fresh air
3. Most importantly, never go to sleep angry with the person lying next to you. You get a much better night’s sleep that way (especially if you’re in the wrong, and guys we all know it’s always us in the wrong...).