The change of routine, an accumulation of stressors or the difference in energy expenditure can cause significant sleep disorders. The uncertainty and reduced mobility caused by confinement has affected the quality of our sleep and from Runnea we want to remedy it. Vicky Cervera, sports psychologist, proposes these 6 healthy habits to sleep better and that will help you improve your performance.
Generally speaking, most of us have reduced our physical activity during these weeks and this has been reflected in the quality of our sleep. Difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, interrupted sleep... the anxiety caused by the day to day manifests itself during the night. Below, our expert in sports psychology shares some basic habits and tips for proper sleep hygiene, take note runner!
Sleep hygiene; healthy habits for a better night's sleep
"Sleep disorders are caused, among other things, by the change of routine, the accumulation of stressors due to uncertainty and perhaps a difference in energy expenditure," warns Vicky Cervera in relation to the various cases of insomnia and difficulty falling asleep during confinement. Adopting some guidelines for proper sleep hygiene will allow us to sleep better and thus improve our performance.
Proper rest is vital to carry out the various activities that make up our daily routine. Here are some healthy habits to prevent difficulty falling asleep during these days:
- Do not put pressure on ourselves, give ourselves time to fall asleep. Be calm and trust that we will sleep.
- Modify some habits (do not scroll with the mobile or avoid stimulants after noon).
- Avoid large dinners.
- Do not drink too much water the hour before going to bed.
- Try to respect regular schedules for going to bed and getting up. Plan a routine.
- Do daily physical activity.
These are some of the tips proposed by Vicky Cervera, sports psychologist, to take care of sleep hygiene. Phase 0 of the de-escalation will allow, from May 2, individual sports and walks in certain time slots, a measure that will allow us to increase our mobility and, therefore, arrive more tired at the end of the day.
- You may be interested in: We solve your doubts about running from May 2: Individual sport from 6:00 to 10:00h and from 20:00 to 23:00h!
Planning a routine will help us to fall asleep better.
"Routine is the most important thing of all. We have to achieve a sense of self-fulfillment or satisfaction with our day-to-day life. This will act as a balm when it comes to falling asleep," says the sports psychologist. Although the de-escalation has already begun, there are still difficult weeks ahead to return to the new "normality", hence the need to "not be over-informed because so much input generates anxiety," adds Vicky.
This anxiety generated and accumulated during the day manifests itself with greater fear when it is time to go to sleep. "Consulting a professional who can teach us some relaxation techniques or performing calming exercises during the day, doing something relaxing every 6 hours, so that the brain knows what the feeling of relaxation is and recognizes it quickly when we need it", warns Vicky, can be some of the keys to a good sleep hygiene.
Running, our best medicine
As we highlighted in the article'Running, a natural medicine to clear your mind', according to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is a disease characterized by a negative mood, guilt, poor sleep or not resting properly, decreased appetite, energy and a long etcetera. Although it is true that the treatment of this symptomatology continues to be pharmacological in most cases, a large number of studies show that exercise is a good coadjuvant in the treatment of this disease (Möller and Henkel, 2005).
Therefore, if during these long weeks of confinement you have suffered from sleep disorders, insomnia or difficulty resting, a routine that includes physical activity can be of great help. Always with responsibility and abiding by the restrictions and regulations in force, accumulating fatigue will allow us to sleep soundly!
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