Let’s talk for a moment about sleep hygiene. We often get stuck on the quantity thing and forget about quality. Sleep is essential to your health and wellness, frequently undervalued, and often comes in below the recommended dose quantity-wise, so all the better reason to make every precious minute of it count.

Here are five simple, effective ways to up your sleep hygiene game:

1. Make it pitch black. Research has demonstrated that even very low levels of light at night can diminish both quality and quantity of sleep. Get black-out curtains, ditch the night lights, and don’t even think about reaching over to grab your cell phone when you’re having trouble falling asleep.

2. Get sunlight during the day. While light is to be avoided at night, sun exposure during the day helps to keep your circadian rhythm regular. The earlier in the day you can get some natural light, the better.

3. Have a routine. While the chaos of life might make it difficult to get to bed at the same time every night, establishing a simple nightly routine can help get your mind and body ready for sleep no matter the circumstances. Something as simple as 5 minutes of reading or a simple breathing practice can be a great way to wind yourself down and get ready for sleep. Keep it simple and keep it the same every day.

4. Exercise. This one’s a no-brainer! Exercise can vastly improve sleep quality. Even if you can’t make it to the gym, something as simple as a 15-minute walk, swim, or some yoga can set you up for better sleep. Note: some people have a harder time getting to sleep if they workout shortly before bed. Experiment and adjust as necessary.

5. Breathe through your nose. If you’ve been in our circle for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard me talk about the benefits of nasal breathing during exercise and throughout your day. You might guess, then, that it would be just as (if not more) important to breathe through your nose while you sleep -- and you would be correct. The challenge, of course, is that it’s hard to control how you breathe while you’re unconscious. If you sleep with a partner, consider asking them if you snore at night -- if you’re a snorer, there’s a good chance you’re a mouth breather while you sleep. If you wake up in a puddle of drool, or with a dry throat and/or phlegmy mouth, these are generally good indications you’re sleeping with your mouth agape. Start by establishing the habit during the day -- teach your body that nasal breathing is the norm. Consciously breathe through your nose as you’re falling asleep, and consider your head posture. You can even use a small piece of porous medical tape over your mouth while you sleep to keep your jaw from accidentally swinging open at night.

It’d be pretty awful to do a challenging workout and find out that you only got 50% of the benefit from it. Don’t let the same thing happen to your sleep!

- PS

9/3/19

• “Loredo”

• Six rounds for time of:

• 24 Squats

• 24 Push-ups

• 24 Walking lunge steps

• Run 400 meters

• *40min time cap