Benefits of a Bedtime Routine
Discovering the power behind sleep has been one of the most important findings of my life and I wanted to share a brief breakdown of some of the things I’ve learned in recent years and how they have impacted my overall daily performance.
Back a few years ago I would sometimes struggle with getting a full night’s rest. I’d either take to long to fall asleep, wake up during the night, or not get enough rest and feel horrible the next day. I uncovered that when I get a great night’s rest I normally have a ton of energy the next day but I didn’t know where the inconsistencies were coming from. Around this time I started to add meditation to my life and found that I liked doing it more in the evening before bed as that helped me wind down and relax. All of a sudden, my sleep quality improved. I was hooked on learning and discovering more.
Shortly after, I came across the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast episode with Dr. Matthew Walker who wrote the book “Why We Sleep” and is a world-renowned sleep expert. I started to implement a few of his recommendations but it was only after purchasing his book and fully grasping all of the reasons we sleep poorly that I was able to form a new bedtime routine.
I’ve kept it simple.
- I try to go to sleep around 10-10:30 pm every night
- I turn off all devices
- I read a book for 20-30 minutes once in bed
- I meditate, sometimes, if my brain is very active that day
- I try to lower my body temperature by making the A/C lower or removing blankets (might even be a shower prior to reading)
- I shut off the lights and calm my mind
Some of the keys I’ve added to this routine like going to bed at the same time each night and trying to remove devices 30-minutes prior are paramount to gearing your body up for sleep and building consistent routines into this practice. By adding this routine into my life I feel more energized in the morning and I’ve had a lot easier time falling to sleep at night. Nothing is worse than laying in bed for an hour or two and trying to fall asleep and typically those nights happen when I am off a routine like where I might be out late, had a drink, got right into bed after doing work on the computer, etc. Being mindful of the things that prevent me from a good night’s rest has been beneficial to making the right choice most of the time and setting myself up for success with my sleep.
Again, I highly recommend Dr. Walker’s book if you are interested to learn more about sleep and sleep patterns and are trying to improve your overall health and well-being. Here’s a link to find it on Amazon: “Why We Sleep” by Dr. Matthew Walker
If you’d like to hear the full audio version on this topic I recorded a One Mic Session on my Just Get Started Podcast. Click here to go to Apple Podcasts-> Benefits of a Bedtime Routine or you can listen on any major Podcasting platform. This episode originally aired on October 22nd, 2020.
In most sports, the stronger you are the more power you will generate – which usually means the better you will be. Of course each sport requires a specific skill too – not just power. However, in the game of golf, your most valued physical asset is not necessarily strength – it’s flexibility. The two go hand in hand and we’re going to take a look at both of them.
When your playing golf, you always have a strategy or you should. Judging the wind, reading greens, choosing clubs, etc. When was the last time you had a strategy for your eating habits on golf days? Here is an exercise – use the “notes” app on your smartphone and type all the things you ate the last time you played golf. Chances are there was a lot of sugar and grease and a long period of time during the round with minimal food.
It’s not an uncommon theme for most amateurs – the warm-up is usually an after-thought. “If I have time for it, then sure I’ll hit a small bucket, but otherwise I’ll just hit a few putts and head to the tee.” In actuality a proper warm up should be at the top of importance because it helps prevent injuries, physically prepares you for consistent performance and helps increase flexibility.
The beginning of the “main” season every spring brings about a lot of rusty golfers both physically and mentally. But, one of the worst things you can do when coming back from your “golf hibernation” is to not stretch. Not only is this important at the beginning of the season but during every practice session and round thereafter.
Golfers come in all shapes and sizes and many different levels of physical ability. Yoga does not discriminate against these physical limitations but gives every golfer an opportunity to push beyond their “normal” and into an area that they never thought possible. Most of the complaints of Yoga are from individuals who have never tried it. Yes, it can be difficult, but shouldn’t fitness be that way? If you are not sweating then you are probably not working hard enough. If you want to build overall body strength, Yoga can help. If you want to be able to wake up without a sore back and cramped leg, Yoga can help. If you feel that your foundation over the ball and through the swing can be better, Yoga can help.
Let me tell you why an unhealthy or too large a meal at the turn probably caused you to play poorly on the back nine. You probably ingested a large amount of sugar with that meal, either with your soda, the ketchup on your hotdog, the snickers bar or other sugary sweets. This influx of sugar and carbohydrates has given your body’s blood glucose level a huge spike. This will cause the famous Sugar Crash! A sugar crash will cause you to become tired, irritated, and unable to focus. All of which are not conducive to a great round of golf!