10 Simple Strategies for a Good Night's Sleep

Your goals don’t just have to be body composition or athletic-based to see the direct correlation between sleep and performance. Want a job promotion? Need to work on your relationship? Finding yourself feeling ‘down’ or lacking motivation in general?

Sleep improves your attention to detail, quality of work, mood, patience and your entire outlook on just about everything.

Below are 10 simple tactics you can use to help you get the sleep you need to be your best self and reach your ultimate goals.

1. Banish the Blue Light
   TV, computer and phone screens emit a blue light, which directly inhibits melatonin production. This means your body doesn’t actually know that it’s time to go to sleep!
2. Update Your Mattress
   Sometimes we get so used to our mattress that we don’t even realize it’s the source of our discomfort. Assess your mattress and see if it’s time for an upgrade.
3. Carbs at Night
   Have you ever eaten a big plate of carbs and felt sleepy afterward? Eating some carbs before bedtime helps you sleep.
4. Don’t Do Drugs
   Caffeine, cigarettes, and sugar do the opposite of helping you wind down for a solid night sleep. Have your last cup of coffee as far away from your bedtime as possible.
5. Have a Bedtime Routine
   Creating a ritual before you go to bed does wonders for telling your body it’s time to sleep. Read our blog post on Creating A Bedtime Routine.
6. Stretch and Roll
   Aches, pains and stiffness can make sleep uncomfortable and cause irritability. Stretching and rolling helps to reduce these aches and pains and will improve your athletic and sleep performance.
7. Keep Your Bedroom Cool
   Your body likes to bring its core temperature down during sleep. If the room is too hot, sleep can be difficult. Turn on a fan or set your air conditioner to a cooler temperature just before bedtime.
8. Keep a Notepad Next to Your Bed
   If you struggle to fall asleep because you’re already thinking about tomorrow and all the things you need to get done, write it down. Keep a notepad handy so that you can quickly turn on the lamp, write it down and feel assured that you won’t forget because it’s written down!
9. Exercise Often
   Exercise releases endorphins, which help you relax and it tires you out — what’s not to love? Just going for a walk can improve your likeliness to fall asleep quickly.
10. Don’t Force It
    If you’re tossing and turning and sleep just isn’t happening, get up. Sit in a chair, read a book, relax elsewhere. It can help your mind settle sooner and get you back in bed and ready for sleep.

WAG Challenge for March

Sleep plays a huge role in reaching your goals, whether they’re performance, body composition or health — so this month's challenge is to get more sleep and monitor it (and, if you’re a WAG member, share your findings with your coach).

This challenge will help you gauge the impact your quality of sleep is having on you.

1. Print the Sleep Tracking Sheet at the bottom of the page and keep it by your bed.
2. Take 30 seconds each day to fill out your sleep tracking sheet.
3. If you’re on the WAG program, update your coach during your weekly check-in with what you’ve noticed about your sleep.
4. Stay accountable and encourage others by sharing your successes using #WAGGoals — how did a good night's sleep benefit you today?!

Then, watch your newfound knowledge of your sleep quality drive your progress forward!

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