How to improve off the field: Sleep

How to improve away from the pitch:

I'm going to be doing a blog series with some concrete ways you can enhance your game away from the pitch!

I want to start with sleep. 

Here are three things to focus on for your athlete's sleep:

1) Quantity:

We need 8 hours of good sleep. Now I remember high school and staying up to finish projects or papers or cramming for tests. The best way to ensure you will get quality sleep is to organize your schedule!

If you need help, please ask your parents, coaches, teacher, etc. on how to manage your time! The number one way athletes end up losing sleep. They do not manage their time well. But if you do finish your homework, do not waste time on social media. There are a time and place for everything! Use that time wisely. Go to Sleep!

2) Quality: 

I would try to look and see how well you sleep. If you have the resources, invest in a sleep tracker.

A sleep tracker will tell you how much you wake up during the day or night.

Even easier, keep track in a journal how you feel in the morning. What time did you go to bed? Did you fall asleep looking at your phone or other devices( I am guilty of this!)? How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Do you feel well-rested, or do you feel sluggish?

All of these things can impact your sleep quality, and by writing down how you sleep, you can see what actionable steps to take.

3)Naps:

I know this may be the hardest thing for students to do. You have so much you got to get done, but what I love are 15-20 minute power naps. These allow you to recharge your batteries and then get back to work.

*Key Note* Please see that I said 15 to 20 minutes, not 30 minutes to 1-hour naps. If you are like me and like to hit the snooze button on naps, make sure to put it fair enough away from you where you have to get up. 

There you have it: My three ways to improve your sleep to improve your performance on the field.

Let me know what you think below. 

Talk soon,

Taylor