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How Much Sleep Do Athletes Need?

NBA superstar (now retired, I do pay attention to sports) and two-time MVP Steve Nash was famous for keeping a sleep journal. Michael Phelps — the most decorated Olympian of all time — slumbers in a special sleep chamber. These athletes are (or were, in their prime) among the best in the world, and they focused on sleep in order to ensure their bodies and minds were just THAT much better than the competition. Sleep is important for athletes, and we’re just beginning to understand why in new and exciting ways.

Sleep and the Athletic Body

There’s a whole lot we DON’T understand about sleep, and the relative lack of research on the subject is shocking considering that it’s an integral part of the human condition. There’s some research that suggests humans release more natural growth hormone when well rested, and sleep is also vital to nervous system recovery (often an underlooked part of athletic recovery). I can say anecdotally — and literally every athlete I’ve ever talked to about the subject will back me up here — that more sleep equals better performance. More specific performance indicators like strength output and reaction time are closely tied to adequate sleep.

Athletes and Sleep Supplements

Some of my favorite — and the world’s most popular — sleep supplements were formulated specifically for athletes. For example, Driven Performance Labs’ Max Sleep is a personal favorite that’s very popular in the CrossFit and weightlifting crowds. It’s actually based around the general ZMA formula, a combination of zinc, magnesium, b vitamins, and (sometimes) l-theanine that was originally developed to aid athletic recovery. (Read my full review an in-depth thoughts on ZMA here.)

While the research behind ZMA suggests it may not actually aid muscular recovery on its own, athletes do feel better recovered when taking it. Why? Because the combo of ingredients aids sleep, and better sleep does lead to great muscular and neuromuscular recovery. If an athlete has less trouble sleeping, they’re going to enjoy more restorative rest and likely perform better on the playing field.

Athletes and Sleep Duration

So how much sleep do athletes really need? The answer is a frustrating “it depends.” But it’s probably safe to say the greater the physical demands of a body, the more sleep it will need to get back to baseline (or improve, in the case of muscle growth and protein synthesis). Athletes should aim for AT LEAST eight hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep per night, but nine or 10 hours is on the safer side. Any less, and you’re risking less-than-optimal recovery — which can mitigate your gains on the playing field and in the gym.

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Arianna Huffington Writes on The Sleep Revolution, Asks All Americans to Prioritize Rest

Is the “Sleep Revolution” coming our way? According to one of America’s most famous media moguls, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington has a new book coming out — called, fittingly, The Sleep Revolution — and she’s been on the press circuit to promote it as her next crusade. When it comes to sharing awareness of sleep’s importance, I’m normally a fan.

Forbes has a solid interview with Huffington, where she shares some of her most pressing and effective tips for prioritizing shuteye. These include:

• Treat it as a ritual — Sleep is sacred and necessary, so treat it as such. That means ALWAYS making time for it and chosing to sacrifice time doing other things in order to get a full night of restful slumber. This can be the most difficult — and effective — sleep tip to institute, and one it’s taken me over a year to really nail down in my personal life.
• Make it a point to disconnect from electronic devices — I’ve definitely covered this before, but to reiterate, NO PHONES OR LAPTOPS IN BED. Using electronics in your sleeping space conditions your body to expect stimulation where you normally sleep, which can negatively impact your long-term ability to get rest in a familiar, comfortable place where you’ll be spending nearly a third of your life.
• In fact, don’t even have electronic devices/smartphones in the bedroom — The best way to avoid electronics in bed is to exile them from the bedroom. Don’t use your phone as an alarm clock, and don’t even charge it near the bed. Remove temptation as much as possible.
• You probably aren’t a “short sleeper” — Huffington claims less than 1% of the population has the genetic mutation to get by on less than eight hours with no negative consequences.
• The Sleep Revolution is coming, and companies play a major role — Companies and workplaces will play an important role in encouraging employees to prioritize sleep (aka not sending emails from bed).
• Avoid caffeine after 2pm — Simple as that. The further from bedtime I take caffeine, the better my sleep (generally).

What are your favorite sleep tips I haven’t covered? Let me know in the comments below!

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The Best Sleep Supplements to Deal with All Nighters

If you’ve ever had to pull an all-nighter, you know that sometimes the hardest part is the day after. Whether you drink coffee, or take other stimulants to stay up through the night, the consequences of a sleepless night are dire.

Because you are overriding your body’s hormonal signal to go to sleep, a number of of other hormones see that as an opportunity to act out. Cortisol is usually released while you sleep to help you get ready for any stressful situations that may come up the following day. When you skip sleep, the body releases extra cortisol, that could make you feel anxious, jittery, and depressed. Ghrelin, the hormone responsible for signaling hunger, also goes into overproduction mode with anything less than 6 hours of sleep. So in additional to feeling cranky, you are also constantly hungry.

To add insult to injury, studies show that some memories are sleep-dependent; this means that you may have a hard time remembering whatever information you stayed up working on, simply because you didn’t sleep on it.

While I do my best to avoid all-nighters, sometimes they just happen. To help me get through the following day, I stack a number of supplements, in an effort to try and minimize the damage.

5:00 AM – Recovery Nap

No matter what is going on, I try to give myself at least 45 minutes for a recovery nap before facing the day. I put on a sleep mask, and set my Power Nap app to Recovery, meaning it will wake me up just before I fall into deep sleep.

6:00 AM Stack 1

Once I wake up, I take one pill of Onnit’s New Mood with a cup of coffee. This supplement is designed to boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter connected to happiness and positive outlook. I feel like this helps me stave off the mood swings often associated with sleep deprivation.

10:00 AM Stack 2

At around 10 or so, I have another cup of coffee or matcha tea, and two of Onnit’s Alpha Brain or a packet of Alpha Brain Instant, and some eggs.

3:00 PM Stack 3

I usually reach for another half dose (one pill) of New Mood, especially if the crankiness is starting to set in.

8:00 PM Stack 4

I try to get to bed as early as possible after an all-nighter. At around eight, I take either Twilune or YAWN, to help me get to sleep quickly.

How do you handle all nighters? DO you have any tips or tricks that help you get through the day after?

The post The Best Sleep Supplements to Deal with All Nighters appeared first on Supplement Your Sleep.

When Is the Best Time to Drink Coffee? Not When Most People Do

Morning Coffee

As much as I work to prioritize good sleep habits, I can still use a boost getting up and awake in the morning. That’s why I’ve tested over 50 sleep supplements in the past couple of years. And, yes, I drink coffee, sometimes a bit TOO much coffee, to help me get going after bed. But I’m probably drinking coffee at the wrong time, along with most other people. It turns out, the best time to get a caffeine boost ISN’T first thing after waking up, or even with breakfast.

Check out the video below for a cool explanation of why exactly this is so:

The lesson, according to research, may be to time coffee/caffeine intake around hormone peaks and cycles in the body. For a lot of people, this will probably mean drinking coffee between 10am and noon, and/or between 2pm and 5pm. 

The first time frame will probably correspond to a quick work break after the day is already rolling. The second is exactly in that post-lunch afternoon slump people dread, though I find a good night’s sleep helps me fight that off pretty effectively.

I’ve been pushing back my morning cup of Joe from 8am until about 9:30am, though I haven’t made the transition to the above time period just yet (though my goal is to, I still can’t hold out quite long enough). Overall, I’ve found my coffee “boost” actually seems to last a little bit longer when I drink coffee gradually later in the morning, powering me through until after lunch and well into the afternoon. After watching the video above, I think I now know why!

It’s worth noting that from my personal experience, it helps to cut off coffee at 5pm or even earlier if I want to get a good night’s sleep.

What’s your morning routine? Do you vary when you drink coffee? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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Does Your Melatonin Supplement Contain Gluten?

It’s not until you go gluten free that you realize how sneaky gluten can be. It’s common for supplements and other over-the-counter medications to contain fillers, and while some companies do use low-allergenic fillers like rice, others rely on soy and wheat as their main filler. High-allergenic fillers are one of the main reasons I’ve chosen to list the additional ingredients for every supplement review on the site. This is especially common, at least in my experience, in melatonin supplements.

Gluten in your Melatonin supplement?

Melatonin is one of the most recommended supplements for those with sleep issues, and many of the melatonin, or melatonin-containing supplements  I’ve come across, contain gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains; in some people, it can cause an inflammatory reaction—which can include severe gastrointestinal symptoms. This includes people diagnosed with Celiac Disease, a gluten intolerance. Not everyone is gluten intolerant, obviously, but I have several friends who need to be careful about avoiding it in their diet due to doctor recommendations.

There have been some studies linking sleep disturbances to inflammatory autoimmune diseases, and a study by Psychology Today identified a direct relationship between gluten intolerance and sleep disturbances leading to anxiety, depression, and fatigue. The study also noted that while those with Celiac were more likely to suffer from sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression.

In short, if you have gone gluten free, for health reasons or because you have been diagnosed with a sensitivity, make sure you take a close look at the labels on your sleep supplements. For example, Natrol’s Fast Dissolve Melatonin contains gluten and lists it on the label; read my full review and see for yourself here. Unless the label explicitly declares the product to be certified gluten free, there is a chance you could be unknowingly ingesting gluten. 

For my friends with gluten sensitivity, I generally suggest sticking to something like ZMA, where I haven’t heard of an issue with gluten exposure for people with a sensitivity — but even then, make sure to check the label before buying.

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Driven Performance Labs and Max Sleep Coupons

Max Sleep is a sleep supplement from Driven Performance Labs, formerly known as Dynamic Nutrition. They’re a nutrition consulting company that also produces a range of supplements made for athletes — usually CrossFitters, weightlifters, and bodybuilders — but I’ve found their Max Sleep product to be useful for most people. It’s got a robust ingredient list that helps me get some of the deepest sleep I’ve ever found from using sleep supplements. Read my full review of Max Sleep here. I’ve also talked about why CrossFitters love this particular product here.

Driven Performance Labs Coupons and Discounts

The company offers occasional discounts, but the largest we’ve seen is 20% off your order. We have an exclusive discount code for just that; use SYS20 at checkout, and you’ll get 20% off your entire order on their online store.

This code is exclusive to Supplement Your Sleep, and it has no set expiration date or user maximum. You can use it more than once, and as long as this article is up, it should be active on their full range of supplements and apparel.

Other Discounts or Ways to Save

We’ll update this page as Driven Performance Labs releases more coupons and/or discounts for holidays, special events, and new product releases.

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The Secret to Lucid Dreaming? Reviewing Dream Leaf

Lucid dreaming enthusiasts tend to agree on one thing: The fact that lucid dreaming can be both learned and induced. While there are “natural-born lucid dreamers,” most of the folks currently partaking in the practice have worked hard to get there.  If you remember from my lucid dreaming article, there is some evidence pointing to lucid dreaming sleep being more restful than both SWS and REM sleep. In a quest to find the best sleep ever, I decided to give lucid dreaming a try.

Dream Leaf is the the first supplement I tested designed specifically to induce lucid dreams. Calling itself “The World’s Most Advanced Lucid Dreaming Supplement,” Dream Leaf claims to lengthen the duration and strength of REM sleep—the sleep cycle during which lucid dreams can happen— effectively lengthening the window of time during which a lucid dream can happen. The company also makes a more straightforward sleep aid — called Twilune — which I reviewed here.

Read on to find out whether or not I had lucid dreams on DreamLeaf, and whether I think it’s worth giving a shot.

Active Ingredients

This supplement is comprised of two pills — red and blue, so you feel like you’re Neo in The Matrix — meant to work synergistically and to be taken at separate times. While the ingredients for each pill are listed, the amounts are not, as they are both labeled as proprietary blends.

Blue Pill – 160 mg

• Mugwort — An herb closely related to wormwood — one of the hallucinogenic components of absinthe — mugwort has been used in ethnomedicine for its nervine properties, and to treat ailments like rheumatism. It is widely used by lucid dreamers to intensify their dream experience.
• 5-HTP —  A byproduct of tryptophan, this chemical helps increase the production of serotonin and has been used to treat insomnia, mood-disorders, migraines, and even binge eating.

Red Pill – 275 mg

• Huperzine-A  — This alkaloid is used in Chinese medicine. Huperzine acts as an AChE inhibitor, allowing you to have better access to your memories while you sleep.  
• Choline Bitartrate — A chemical thought to improve the production of acetylcholine, an essential neurotransmitter involved in a number of cognitive functions.
• Alpha GPC — Another source of dietary choline, it may also stimulate the production of growth hormone in aging humans.

Additional Ingredients: Gelatin, Water, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, Magnesium Stearate, Rice Flour.

My Experience

There are two methods to the Dream Leaf madness. One involves taking the blue pill before bed, and then setting an alarm to wake up after 4 hours of sleep to take a red pill. Anything involving waking up in the middle of deep sleep doesn’t sound so great to me, so I gave the other method a try first. I took the red pill 4 hours before going to bed, and on the following night, I took the blue pill right before bed.  

On that second night, I did have very vivid and detailed dreams, but at no point do I remember being aware of dreaming while it was occurring. I waited until the weekend, and tried the first, and recommended, method: begrudgingly setting my alarm to ring in four hours from the time I went to bed. I took the blue pill, and tried to not think about having to wake up in the middle of the night. I took the red pill, as the alarm went off, and tried to get right back to sleep. And that’s where the magic kinda(sorta)  happened for me. I had a super fun dream that involved surfing volcano lava, and very clearly acknowledging that I used to have dreams like that when I was younger, and that I should have dreams like this more often.

Now whether that memory was induced by research, or I actually did used to have lucid dreams when I was young is still a mystery to me, but I do have to admit I remembered having a lot of fun in my sleep. And in spite of all the physical activity, I did wake up refreshed, well-rested and alert.

Pros:

• Lucid dreams are fun
• I felt well-rested and refreshed, even after having woken up in the middle of the night

Cons:

• The most effective method includes waking up in the middle of the night
• The two pills need to be taken separately, regardless of the method chosen
• You may need a little “training” to truly enjoy the experience

The Final Word

There are whole communities devoted to lucid dreaming. Those committed to the practice use a number of  methods to induce lucid dreaming, including MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams) and WBTB (Wake Back to Bed). I suspect that I may be one of the natural-borns, so if you don’t have the same experience I did while taking Dream Leaf but want to engage in lucid dreaming, I would encourage you to explore other methods. They may involve pairing this supplement with a one of these methods.

Ultimately, lucid dreaming will vary significantly from person to person, and Dream Leaf is a product that may help some unlock the ability a little more frequently.

The post The Secret to Lucid Dreaming? Reviewing Dream Leaf appeared first on Supplement Your Sleep.

My Morning 3-Ingredient Hazelnut Mini Granola Bars

While I usually have a Bulletproof Coffee for breakfast, there are days where I do crave something sweet. I love granola, but since I hardly ever get to eat breakfast at home, I need something more portable. These 3-Ingredient Hazelnut Mini Granola Bars are that, and more. They are highly customizable, easy to put together, and you can easily halve or double the batch, depending on your needs. I also like these as a pre-workout snack on days I need a little more carbs.

I’m a big fan of hazelnuts. They are energy-dense and have been studied for both increasing memory and decreasing anxiety. Most commercial nut butters have added sugars, so I just make my own by grinding hazelnuts in  the food processor—you can substitute this for a ready-made butter, or any nut butter you prefer.

Granola Bar Ingredients

• ½ cup raw honey
• 1 cup of hazelnut butter
• 3 cups of gluten-free oats OR your favorite granola (I use BOLA)

Heat up the oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, melt the honey and the hazelnut butter together until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into the oats or granola and mix well. Pour it into a silicone mini-muffin pan or a 9” baking pan, and bake it for 15 minutes. Let it cool, and cut them into 1” x 1” squares, if baked in a pan. Bars can be stored in an air-tight container.

Whether you have them for breakfast or as a snack, I hope you enjoy these bars as much as I do. Let me know if and how you customize yours in the comments.

The post My Morning 3-Ingredient Hazelnut Mini Granola Bars appeared first on Supplement Your Sleep.

What Are L-Theanine Side Effects?

If you’ve ever tried a few different sleep supplements — and take it from me, I’ve tried a lot of them — you’re probably familiar with some common ingredients. Magnesium (in various forms), melatonin, valerian, tryptophan, and l-theanine are all pretty common on the back of ingredient labels. And with each comes different effects — and perhaps different side effects.

While I’ve never had much of a problem with sleep supplement side effects (apart from some working a little too well and leaving me drowsy), it’s worth becoming knowledgeable on these ingredients and how they may impact you.

L-theanine is a calming amino acid that’s non-essential to bodily function, and it’s also non-dietary, meaning you won’t get a lot of it in your day to day diet. As far as food goes, it’s found primarily in green tea, which could be one reason why green tea is so calming to drink. There’s also evidence that theanine, when paired with caffeine, can enhance focus and concentration better than caffeine alone, as well as reduce the likelihood of jitters.

Generally, l-theanine has relatively few reported side effects in the research space. It’s been called a “safe” and “natural” sleep aid, and it may help combat stress and even potentially spikes in blood pressure associated with stress. In some human studies, tea extracts containing theanine have caused dizziness and headaches in a few subjects, though it’s unclear which components in the extracts caused these.

My Experience with L-Theanine

I’ve never had an adverse reaction to theanine, though I generally keep any dosages around 100-200mg, depending on if I’m pairing it with caffeine. My suggestion? If you’re taking a sleep supplement with theanine, follow the manufacturer instructions. If you experience adverse reactions, talk to a medical professional (it may be a good idea to do this beforehand if you’re on prescription medications).

Some of my favorite sleep supplements contain theanine, including True Athlete’s ZMA formula and Onnit’s calming New Mood.

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