It seems sleep (or our lack of it) is the latest bandwagon health practitioners around the world are jumping on. Given its importance to our health and longevity our PEAK coaches are working with athletes every day to ensure they are sleeping soundly, prioritising sleep as one of the key ingredients in the recipe for setting us up for success.
Here is our PEAK spin on getting some shut-eye and some tips on getting a better sleep and waking up fresh…
Waking up refreshed (and knowing your sleep cycles)
We often hear of athletes sleeping their 8 hours but still waking up feeling groggy, tired and reaching for that coffee cup.
We know that our sleep cycles last about 90 minutes and it is recommended we aim for at least 4 cycles, which equals out to 6 hours of solid sleep.
However, the next 90-minute cycle finishes up at 7.5 hours, meaning opening your eyes after 8 hours may have you waking up in the middle of another sleep cycle.
While the science isn’t exact, you can try setting your alarm to have you waking up at these 90-minute increments to have you waking more refreshed. There are also a number of sleep cycle alarms now out which will track your cycles and wake you around the time your body is in light sleep!
For Coffee Lovers Only
We love our coffee here at PEAK, and you’ll often see various members of the tribe with a coffee in hand.
Caffeine does have a half-life of 5-8 hours depending on each individual. That means a brew at 2pm could still leave half the amount of caffeine in your body at 7-10pm.
The easiest way to help reduce the late-night caffeine coursing through the veins is to stick to the rule NO BREW after NOON.
Instead of Counting Sheep…
Count what you are grateful for.
A worried mind is not a mind made for sleeping, and stressing over the day’s events can only lead to bags under the eyes in the morning. More gratitude and positive thoughts at bedtime has shown longer and more refreshing sleep to those who take up the practice. There are some great diaries and gratitude journals around that can help kickstart this process. So get counting!!
These are a few small tips that will go a big way to improving your sleep, but because we value good quality sleep so highly at PEAK here are a few more tips to have you snoozing as soon as your head hits the pillow
- Get your right food fix – Melatonin; that old sleep chemical we all know and love has been found to be 400 times more present in the gut than the brain so the food you eat during the day will impact the quality of sleep you have through the night.
- Stay cool – Brisbane is hot and Brisbane is muggy. While winter months are spent sleeping soundly under the covers, the endless summer nights are often spent tossing and turning under the sheets. Surprisingly, we sleep the most comfortably at a temperature range of 15-20 degrees Celsius. Thank you Air-conditioning!
- Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’ – Put the phone on charge, put it down and spend the last 10 minutes before bed getting your roll on. Working through your abdominal muscles with a foam roller, trigger ball or even a soccer ball is a sure-fire way to hit the pillow with your eyes closed
TAKE AWAYS:
- Know your 90-minute sleep cycles and try to work your sleep around them
- No caffeine after lunch
- Make a habit of naming three things you are grateful for each night before sleep
- Eat the right foods
- Keep the room you’re sleeping in cool
- Use a foam roller and massage those abdominals
Test these out and see the sleepy results first hand. If you are having issues with your sleep or would like to learn a little more about how you can improve your sleep call us on (07) 3399 3318 to book an appointment with a PEAK coach.
It seems sleep (or our lack of it) is the latest bandwagon health practitioners around the world are jumping on. Given its importance to our health and longevity our PEAK coaches are working with athletes every day to ensure they are sleeping soundly, prioritising sleep as one of the key ingredients in the recipe for setting us up for success.
Here is our PEAK spin on getting some shut-eye and some tips on getting a better sleep and waking up fresh…Waking up refreshed (and knowing your sleep cycles)We often hear of athletes sleeping their 8 hours but still waking up feeling groggy, tired and reaching for that coffee cup.
We know that our sleep cycles last about 90 minutes and it is recommended we aim for at least 4 cycles, which equals out to 6 hours of solid sleep.
However, the next 90-minute cycle finishes up at 7.5 hours, meaning opening your eyes after 8 hours may have you waking up in the middle of another sleep cycle.
While the science isn’t exact, you can try setting your alarm to have you waking up at these 90-minute increments to have you waking more refreshed. There are also a number of sleep cycle alarms now out which will track your cycles and wake you around the time your body is in light sleep!For Coffee Lovers Only
We love our coffee here at PEAK, and you’ll often see various members of the tribe with a coffee in hand.Caffeine does have a half-life of 5-8 hours depending on each individual. That means a brew at 2pm could still leave half the amount of caffeine in your body at 7-10pm.
The easiest way to help reduce the late-night caffeine coursing through the veins is to stick to the rule NO BREW after NOON.Instead of Counting Sheep…
Count what you are grateful for.A worried mind is not a mind made for sleeping, and stressing over the day’s events can only lead to bags under the eyes in the morning. More gratitude and positive thoughts at bedtime has shown longer and more refreshing sleep to those who take up the practice. There are some great diaries and gratitude journals around that can help kickstart this process. So get counting!!
These are a few small tips that will go a big way to improving your sleep, but because we value good quality sleep so highly at PEAK here are a few more tips to have you snoozing as soon as your head hits the pillow
- Get your right food fix – Melatonin; that old sleep chemical we all know and love has been found to be 400 times more present in the gut than the brain so the food you eat during the day will impact the quality of sleep you have through the night.
- Stay cool – Brisbane is hot and Brisbane is muggy. While winter months are spent sleeping soundly under the covers, the endless summer nights are often spent tossing and turning under the sheets. Surprisingly, we sleep the most comfortably at a temperature range of 15-20 degrees Celsius. Thank you Air-conditioning!
- Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’ – Put the phone on charge, put it down and spend the last 10 minutes before bed getting your roll on. Working through your abdominal muscles with a foam roller, trigger ball or even a soccer ball is a sure-fire way to hit the pillow with your eyes closed
TAKE AWAYS:
- Know your 90-minute sleep cycles and try to work your sleep around them
- No caffeine after lunch
- Make a habit of naming three things you are grateful for each night before sleep
- Eat the right foods
- Keep the room you’re sleeping in cool
- Use a foam roller and massage those abdominals
Test these out and see the sleepy results first hand. If you are having issues with your sleep or would like to learn a little more about how you can improve your sleep call us on (07) 3399 3318 to book an appointment with a PEAK coach.
Let's get started — How can we help?
Physiotherapy
Chiropractic
Podiatry
Massage Therapy
Women's Health Physiotherapy
Running Program Tailored To Your Goals
Joint Mobilisation
Active Release Technique
Exercise Prescription
Real Time Ultrasound Imaging
Spinal Manipulation
Functional Movement Screen
Knee Pain Treatment
Hamstring Strain Treatment
Hip Pain Treatment
Upper, Middle & Lower Back Pain
Neck Pain Treatment
Shoulder Pain & Rotator Cuff Tear
Can't find what you're after?
View all Services
Make an appointment
Or email the PEAK team at info@peakssc.com.au
Hawthorne
- Phone: (07) 3399 3318
- Fax: (07) 3319 6577
Address
5/171 Riding Road,Hawthorne, QLD, 4171 Get Directions
Opening Hours -
6 days per week
- Monday - Friday: 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Saturday: 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
To make a booking outside of business hours, please use our form by clicking here.
New Farm
- Phone: (07) 3399 4668
- Fax: (07) 3319 6577
Address
1/15 Lamington Street,New Farm, QLD, 4005 Get Directions
Opening Hours -
6 days per week
- Monday: 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Tuesday: 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Wednesday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Friday: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Saturday: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
To make a booking outside of business hours, please use our form by clicking here.