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Sleep Matters
Sleep is where the magic happens. It’s proven to decrease fatigue, increase energy, enhance focus at match time, AND accelerate post-match recovery time. Tryptophan is an amino acid that makes melatonin in the brain, which is secreted at night for a healthy sleep cycle. There are certain things you should and shouldn’t do to help get the best night’s sleep possible and in turn, perform optimally.
Sleep Promoting Foods to Eat
Containing melatonin:
Containing melatonin:
- Tart Cherries
- Pineapple
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Gogi Berries
- Grapes
Containing tryptophan:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Nuts (walnuts, peanuts, almonds)
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Shrimp
- Eggs
Sleep Promoting Lifestyle Enhancements
- Make lists to keep you organized on match day so you don’t forget anything.
- Before bed, breathe deeply, in through your nose and into your belly for 5 minutes to calm your mind and lower your heart rate.
- While breathing, visualize great match day performance.
- Avoid bright light in the evening (that includes the light from cellphones, laptops, etc.); it can inhibit melatonin production by sending alerting signals to the brain.
- Keep your room cool, at about 65°F. Body temperature is tied to your sleep cycle, so if you’re too hot it can interfere with that cycle causing restlessness.
Sleep Disrupting Foods to Avoid
- Caffeine (remains in your system for hours).
- Alcohol (disrupts later stages of sleep that promote memory and motor skills).
- Processed foods high in fat and sugar (causes indigestion and heartburn).