You know that million-dollar feeling you get only after a restful night鈥檚 sleep? It shouldn鈥檛 be a rare occurrence, especially given how the benefits of high-quality sleep ripple out across all aspects of life. Sleep not only helps your body recover鈥攊t鈥檚 also a surefire performance booster. But if you鈥檙e like us, you likely haven鈥檛 factored sleep into your training the same way you鈥檝e focused on dialing in your gear or nutrition. But you definitely ought to, says W. Chris Winter, MD, author of The Sleep Solution. 鈥淭here are few areas of athletic performance not impacted by sleep, or lack thereof,鈥 he says. So if you want to take your outdoor adventures to the next level, building a long-term pattern of healthy, restorative sleep could be the ticket鈥攁nd it鈥檚 easier than you might think.
Set the Tone
Like a perfect date, a great night’s sleep depends on the right setting. 鈥淵ou want to create an environment that鈥檚 inviting, that will make you want to forgo that television show for getting to bed,鈥 says Winter. Part of that sleep-enhancing environment is the temperature you keep your room. 鈥淢ost people do best in the 65-degree range,鈥 says Winter, who emphasizes that everybody is different, so some amount of thermostat tinkering will be required. Another easily controllable element is how you light your bedroom. Look for specially designed sleep-friendly LEDs鈥攄immable, lower-watt bulbs with the kind of warm, diffuse light profile the National Sleep Foundation recommends. Red bulbs are even more conducive to sleep…if you can stomach their nontraditional hue.
Pick the Right Bedding
As with running shoes or hiking boots, there are certain performance characteristics you should look for in your home sleep system. 鈥淵ou want a mattress that is comfortable and doesn鈥檛 affect your temperature,鈥 says Winter. 鈥淚t should draw you in.鈥 Look for options, like , that are made with natural fibers such as wool and cotton, which are breathable and offer top-notch thermoregulatory properties, keeping you warm in winter and cool in the summer by wicking away moisture better than synthetics. Of course, how the mattress is constructed is equally important, and Avocado鈥檚 is needle-tufted by hand here in America, with a hybrid design of independent coils broken down into five strategic support zones to help reduce motion transfer, keep your back aligned, and alleviate pressure points.
Keep Things Fresh
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Turn Off the Screens
The blue hues of light emitted by phone, TV, and computer screens have been shown to rob your body of melatonin, the sleep hormone鈥攗ltimately making it more difficult to fall asleep. A best practice, according to Winter, is to avoid blue light altogether in the hour or so ahead of bedtime. 鈥淭his means no screens in the bedroom,鈥 he says. If you really struggle with reeling in screen time at night, consider a pair of blue-light-reducing glasses, which many of Winter鈥檚 clients have adopted.
In addition to screens, try controlling other light sources as well. 鈥淭here should be minimal to no light coming into the room,鈥 says Winter, so blackout curtains might make a big difference when it comes to logging high-quality, uninterrupted sleep.
Learn to Let Go
One part of a sleep regimen that can be particularly challenging is recognizing what you can and can鈥檛 control. 鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely a mental aspect to this,鈥 says Winter. 鈥淲hen an athlete feels the pressure to sleep well, he or she can develop anxiety around it.鈥
Many of the professional teams and coaches Winter works with have taken note of this and, instead of telling their athletes to get some sleep, they instruct them to rest. But you don鈥檛 need to be an elite athlete to benefit from Winter鈥檚 advice. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to fail at rest. You can go lie flat, relax, and close your eyes. If you realize it doesn鈥檛 have to be sleep, you remove the anxiety. Odds are, you will sleep anyhow.鈥
The Final Touches
Finally, Winter recommends establishing a bedtime routine that will signal to your body that it鈥檚 time to sleep. 鈥淭he smell of lavender can help,鈥 he says. 鈥淐onsider spraying your room or bedding with it just prior to sleep.鈥
The nice thing about a routine like this is that it can serve as a sleep trigger even when you鈥檙e not in your own bed. 鈥淧ay attention to the details that allow you to drift off,鈥 Winter says. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 lavender, for instance, then bring that with you when you travel. You want to be motivated to get to bed.鈥
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