How do I wake up ready for my competition?
You have an important event tomorrow, and you know that getting enough rest is crucial. Unfortunately, the moment you lay down in bed, your mind is too busy thinking to actually fall asleep. You then go down a spiral of worrying about everything until it’s practically morning. What can you do to prevent this from happening?
Sleep:
To wake up ready for a competition means to get good enough sleep the night before. Sleep is important for athletes, as it helps them recover from injuries, manage stress and anxiety, and boost physical and mental performance. Someone who gets less than 8 hours of sleep is 1.7 times more likely to get injured than someone who gets more than 8 hours of sleep every night.
How to get better sleep:
For good sleep, it’s recommended to:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
This is like a sleep cycle, in which your body is used to going to sleep and waking up at the same time. It’s much easier to fall asleep once it hits the usual time you fall asleep, and it’s easier to wake up when the usual time you wake up comes by.
Turn off screens early
Screens use blue light, and this light makes it so that your body doesn’t produce the melatonin needed to induce sleep, even when normally the case.
Take a hot bath or shower
This is something you can do to help relax before going to bed. It’s great to go to bed worrying and lying awake, so doing something relaxing is recommended.
Avoid caffeine
This one is pretty obvious—caffeine makes you more awake. Caffeine can also affect your sleep cycle–making you tired at a different time–and your sleep quality.
Conclusion:
A good night’s sleep is essential to waking up early and ready for winning the next day. Otherwise, the likelihood of injuries during the event is much higher than what it would be if you got a good night’s sleep.
Sources:
“Caffeine and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 17 Apr. 2024, www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/caffeine-and-sleep.
“Does the Light from a Screen Make It Hard to Sleep? (For Teens) | Nemours Kidshealth.” KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, kidshealth.org/en/teens/blue-light.html#:~:text=Blue%20light%20fools%20the%20brain,couple%20of%20hours%20before%20bedtime. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
“How to Get a Good Night Sleep When Stressed.” How to Get a Good Night Sleep When Stressed | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, 11 Aug. 2023, bbrfoundation.org/blog/how-get-good-night-sleep-when-stressed.
“How to Wake up Easier.” Sleep Foundation, 8 Nov. 2023, www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/how-to-wake-up-easier.
Taylor, Shawn. “Sleep for Health and Performance.” The Center Foundation, 5 Nov. 2020, www.centerfoundation.org/sleep-for-health/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA9vS6BhA9EiwAJpnXw34SyUH9YfBEK-xmpB9gNQhrhso7Ac3U0pJZnAYtIivYCXLewEsNYhoCuSsQAvD_BwE.