Sleep is massively underrated. You could have the best training and nutrition program in the world, but if you weren’t getting enough quality sleep each night your performance and physique would still suffer. It shouldn’t be too hard to believe really, at some point I’m sure we have all experienced a terrible night’s sleep, and I think we can all agree, the following day isn’t much fun.
A poor night's sleep can lead to some of the following symptoms.
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General fatigue
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Trouble concentrating
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Headaches
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Irritability
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Increased or decreased hunger
All of these can lead to poor job performance, problems with relationships and an increased likeliness of getting injured.
What’s even more worrying is that if you string together a few poor nights of sleep, you have a higher chance of getting ill or developing more serious symptoms ranging from weight loss/gain, high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea and memory loss.
The benefits of sleep are amazing, and if you still aren’t convinced about getting a decent kip, then some of these benefits are sure to change your mind.
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Optimal hormone levels (yep the ones that build muscle and burn fat)
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An improved mood
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Clearer, sharper thinking
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Improved immune system
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Healthier vital organs
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Lower levels of stress
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Helps you to maintain a healthy body weight
Convinced yet? Good, because I am about to reveal to you the best supplements you can be taking to ensure a solid night's sleep. Think of it as the holy grail of sleep stacks.
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Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a shrub that has been used in agricultural medicine for hundreds of years. You may commonly see it referred to as Indian ginseng or winter cherry. The term ‘ashwa’ actually means horse and ashwagandha actually describes the smell of its root, which smells like a horse. Its known as an adaptogen herb and has been used to treat many illnesses and conditions since its discovery, some of which include the following:
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Arthritis
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Constipation
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Anxiety
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Diabetes
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Memory loss
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Fevers
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Stress
As you can see, it has many uses.
One of the most recent findings has been on the effectiveness of its ability to help you get a better night's sleep. This may be down to its already proven effectiveness on relieving anxiety, by producing a calming effect on the mind and body, allowing you to relax. As well as this, it has also been found to lower stress levels in the body. For those of you who don’t know, high stress levels have been linked to insomnia, high blood pressure and cases of depression for a long time, all of which are known to impact sleep.
Dosages can range anywhere from 300mg to over 1g a day and you can split the dose if needs be. I take mine half an hour before bedtime.
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ZMA
Zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. This is one of the first supplements I started taking and the first one I took for improved sleep. Its combination of ingredients claims to help you build muscle, improve performance and improve your sleep. You can see why I was intrigued.
What’s even better is that it’s actually true. If you are deficient in any of those three you could be inhibiting your ability to perform at your best, build as much muscle as possible and get a quality night's sleep.
The three ingredients work synergistically, and studies show that a combination of zinc and magnesium help the body activate the parasympathetic nervous system, making you feel calm and relaxed and improve the quality of your sleep.
ZMA is taken before bed and is usually 2-3 tablets. It's quite well priced and a bottle can last either 30 or 60 days depending on where you buy it from.
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Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that is made naturally by the body and is often referred to as the ‘sleep hormone’ (yes!) for its ability to help you fall asleep.
It works with your body clock. Your body is a very clever machine and is programmed to know when to wake up and when to fall asleep. When it's dark outside, your body knows its time for sleep and melatonin is released, helping you to relax. Stress, too much blue light, smoking and not enough time spent outdoors can all contribute to lower levels of melatonin being released at night-time.
When taking melatonin, you want the biggest impact from the lowest dosage possible. Taking more does not mean you will fall asleep faster. Start with 0.5mg and work your way up.
There you have it, my favourite sleep supplements. Remember they aren’t miracle workers; you still need to have a healthy bedtime routine. However, they can seriously benefit your quality of sleep in turn, your training performance.
