If you’re chronically online, like me, you definitely have heard about sleepmaxxing. Sleepmaxxing is not exactly a new trend; it is simply another word for practicing good sleep hygiene. Sleep is perhaps the most recovery tools that any human needs and it becomes even more essential if you’re an athlete.
Sleepmaxxing is definitely one influencer trend that I can get behind. I have seen various social media users practice this through different tools and techniques, but the basic principles remain the same as simple sleep hygiene. If you want to use sleep to your strength, let me divulge some necessary information that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine and schedule.
Why Is Sleepmaxxing Important For Athletes?
Being an athlete, you cannot compromise on rest and recovery. The better you recover, the better you will perform the next day. By ensuring that you use the right sleep hygiene habits, you will:
- Ensure that you perform to your mental best. Your decision-making skills will improve, your reaction time will be quicker, your emotional regulation will be stronger and your general mental strength will be higher.
- Experience faster physical recover. Even if you played the most tiring match of your life, by sleeping better, your body will recover in a shorter span of time.
- Prevent any injury. When your sleep is poor, your body becomes prone to more injuries, even if you’re doing everything the same way. Your muscles will be weaker, not to mention your reflexes, all which are going to push you to get injured sooner.
7+ Sleepmaxxing Habits You Need To Follow Now
Let’s go over different sleepmaxxing habits that you can follow as an athlete. By following these methods consistently, you will be able to sleep better and as a result perform better on the field.
- Be consistent
- Have a pre-sleep routine
- Face sunlight first thing
- Limit dopamine stimulation
- Practice low-intensity cardio
- Smell the right aromas
- Set digital boundaries
- Track and journal
Be consistent
The most important principle that you need to follow when you’re trying to improve the quality of your sleep is to remember consistency. Whatever technique you are trying, you need to maintain consistency. If you’re not consistent with your sleep habits, you will simply not see results. You will also not know whether the technique works for you or not.
You also need to be consistent with other parts of your daily schedule if you want better sleep. For example, try to eat your meals at the same time everyday and go to bed at the same time every day. By doing just thing, you will be able to set your body-clock in a way that will help you sleep better.
If you are having trouble in bringing consistency to your life, not only in terms of your sleep routine, but also other areas, shoot me an email at mindyourwicket@gmail.com. Let me see how I can help you out!
Have a pre-sleep routine
Having a pre-sleep routine, no matter how short it might be, can actually help your quality of sleep. Now, don’t fall for those hyped pre-sleep routines that influencers promote that only focus on aesthetics. Make your routine your own and stick to it.
For example, if you love reading, try reading for a few minutes before bed under a soft light. But of course, your routine can vary depending on what your schedule looks like. Sometimes, the end of your day may even look like washing up dishes in the sink or taking your dog out for a walk. But, try to make the 30 minutes before your bedtime as relaxed as possible.
Face sunlight first thing
Your circadian rhythm is what sets the time you go to sleep and wake up. The best way to help your circadian rhythm is to expose yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning. When you wake up, open up the windows and look outside. This will not only expose you to healing and energetic sunlight, but also give you a fresh kick-start to your day.
If you live in a cold place or if you’re experiencing a damp and dark monsoon like I am doing right now, you might find it hard to find sunlight early in the morning. Some people swear by a sunrise alarm clock like this one, while others use a melatonin supplement for the same. Try researching products well before you incorporate them.
Limit dopamine stimulation
Our brain loves quick rewards and this is the reason why we love reels and shorts more than longer videos and junk food more than healthy food. However, when we train our brain to expect quick rewards in everything, it messes up with your body clock and also ruins your sleep routine.
If you’re used to such activities in your daily life, limiting them might be hard at first, but stick to it, just like you would stick with a difficult part in your sport. Instead of getting dopamine through high-stimulation activities, try other methods like spending time with your family or friends, playing with your pet, playing a musical instrument or even taking time to paint or craft.
Practice low-intensity cardio
As an athlete, I’m sure you’re pretty used to hearing that faster and more intense is always better. But, science has shown that it is not always true. Research has shown that low-intensity, steady-state cardio has plenty of benefits that high-intensity training does not provide. This type of training, also known as Zone 2 training, has been known to aid in mitochondrial health and even fat metabolism, which can be helpful for recovery and sleep.
Basically, in this type of training, you will be only using up to 60 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate for extended periods of time. Whatever activity you choose, whether it is cycling, swimming, running or even walking, try to aim for durations longer than 30 minutes.
Smell the right aromas
Another habit to use in your sleepmaxxing is to use essential oils and aromatherapy in your sleep routine. The smell of certain essential oils, like lavender oil and chamomile, can help you relax and sleep better. You can simply dap a drop or two on your wrists and other pulse points. You can also spray a diluted form on your bed or your curtains. You can also go all out and get an essential oil diffuser to bring a spa-like experience to your own room.
Set digital boundaries
We live in a digital world which aims to keep us awake and participating throughout our given 24 hours. However, the many screens that we use on a daily basis emit plenty of blue light which is terrible for our sleep health. Try putting your screens away atleast an hour before your bed time to help you sleepmaxx.
Limiting your screen times does not only mean putting your phone away well before bedtime, but also minimalizing tech and digitalism throughout the day. This can mean creating no-phone zones, like in your training area, or even a no-phone hour, where you can give your attention to other things.
Track and journal
Start tracking your daily life, your emotions, your moods, your thoughts and also your sleep as part of your sleepmaxxing. By tracking your data, you will be able to notice patterns that affect your sleep and your overall health. In doing this, you will be able to adjust your routine to help you not just sleepmaxx but lifemaxx (if that is an actual term).
Conclusion
Sleepmaxxing has been catching on among elite athletes and those concerned with performance and recovery. Sleep itself is trainable and once you take better command of it, you will be able to take stronger command of other parts of your life as well.
If you like this blogpost, drop me an email at mindyourwicket@gmail.com
References
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10105495/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079224000340
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4400203/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12529-023-10212-y
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6988893/
https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-023-00599-z
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9960533/
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/7/356
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666061X25000033
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