Counting Bodies Like Sheep

"Count the bodies like sheep
Count the bodies like sheep

Counting bodies like sheep
To the rhythm of the war drums

Count the bodies like sheep

Go back to sleep
Go back to sleep" 

A Perfect Circle

It's been said numerous times by various people that sleep is one of the most under utilized recovery agents out there.

Sleep is performance enhancing.  Sleep makes everything in your body work optimally.

Much like pain, you don't realize how bad your sleep quality is until you get a good nights rest.


Over the past few years my sleep quality has come and gone numerous times.  When I was obese and drank a lot I didn't so much sleep as just pass out.  I'd wake feeling like crap and rely on stimulants to get me going.  When I stopped drinking I realized how bad my rest was.  When I went from 300 to 160, my sleep quality improved even more.

Being sober and at 160 pounds I thought for sure I was getting optimal rest.  Then the night sweats kicked in.  I was constantly tired and stimulants weren't helping.  So I ran through a bottle of sleep aid.  That helped some what.  Once I started my treatment for my CML and the nigth sweats were greatly reduced, ahh restful sleep.

Then came the spike over load of 2011.

I burnt out my CNS with over stimulant consumption.  Back to piss poor sleep quality.  So I detoxed from caffeine, took mineral support to help me sleep ( will elaborate on how awesome I think this stuff is another time ) and recover.  I got better, eventually.

My sleep quality has been okay as of late.  Not horrible, but not optimal either.  6 hours during the weekdays and 9ish on the weekends.  That "works" for now.  Ideally I'd get more during the week and a bit more on the weekends .  Come Thursday and Friday's I'm pretty tired and the 6 hours is catching up to me.

Where am I going with this you ask?

Everyone is an expert if you ask them.  I'm no expert I just know what works and doesn't work for me.  Sure you can "catch up" on sleep during the weekends, but lets face it, that's not solving the problem.

I understand not everyone can go to bed at 9 and then wait for their body to wake up naturally.  Though if you can do that on the weekends, do it!

Here is what I feel will give you the best recovery throughout the week and keep you running on all cylinders.

• Aim for a minimum of 6 hours of sleep, when you can sleep longer, like the weekends, do it!
• Don't sleep for more than 10 on the weekends
• If you wake up in the middle of the night and don't fall back asleep within 5 minutes, get out of the bed and go do something.  Don't go watch TV or sit on the computer, read a book, sweep the kitchen, get a glass of water and slowly drink it while reflecting on what you want to accomplish tomorrow
• Try to minimize your caffeine consumption to before 10am, lay off the energy drinks
• Use fresh sheets once a week
• Turn the air down or have a fan blow over you, cooler conditions lend to better sleep quality
• Stop drinking liquids 2 hours before bed if you can ( you can take your night time meds/etc with some water but as little as needed )
• Get a nightly ritual that you do before bed
• reduce physical activity 60 minutes before bed
• Leave the bed for bed related activities. You should not be watching TV in your bed, it creates incorrect habits

Find what works for you.  If any o these are  not realistic for you then change them up, do something else.

I'm no expert and I'm constantly trying to improve my sleep quality, I just know when I employ some of the above it helps.