Brought to you by WHOOP
Not getting enough sleep? It might be a bigger problem than you'd think...
Sleep plays a big role in feeling your absolute best, both physically and mentally.
If your sleep isn't up to scratch, you're going to notice the affects of it on your health, fitness and mood. Sleep is key to how our bodies function, such as boosting our immune system and maintaining a healthy metabolism. This means if you're not resting properly, it could be having a serious impact on your fitness goals and overall health.
There are four key stages of sleep - Light Sleep, Deep Sleep (SWS), REM Sleep and Awake. Spending too much or too little time in each stage can have a serious impact on your overall health.
So with that in mind, here are some ways you can improve your sleep...
1. Change your small daily habits
Changing some of your small daily habits and behaviours could be really beneficial for the quality of your sleep.
If you drink a lot of caffeine throughout the day, try cutting that down, especially in the evening time. Avoiding large meals too late in the day could also make a big difference to how well you sleep.
2. Plan your evenings
Putting a bit of thought into your nighttime routine can help you sleep better.
Planning what time you'll go to sleep and when you'll wake up helps you ensure you're getting enough rest. While we're all guilty of doing it, it's also a good idea to avoid screens for at least one hour before you plan on going to sleep.
3. Find ways to optimise the quality of your sleep
One of the best ways to improve on your sleep is to track it over time, and make changes based off of those insights.
When it comes to sleep,
WHOOP tracks more data than any other fitness wearable and can tell you exactly what you need to do to improve the quality of your sleep. It tracks both the quantity and quality of your sleep, and how much time you spend in each stage of the sleep cycle.
WHOOP Sleep Coach gives you feedback on how much sleep you need each night, based off the strain your body has accumulated throughout the day, any sleep debt required from previous nights and including any naps you've taken too.
For 15% off a WHOOP membership, use the code SPORTSJOE at checkout HERE.
4. Maintain a consistent sleep and wake schedule
Creating a routine by waking up and going to bed around the same time everyday is really beneficial for improving your sleep efficiency in the long-term.
As tempting as it is, try to avoid lying in too late or hitting that snooze button too many times. It does nothing for your sleep and could actually leave you feeling worse. You should also try avoid napping within 8 hours of your natural bed time, to ensure you can stick to a good sleep routine.
WHOOP is a 24/7 fitness tracker and health monitor that provides personalised, actionable feedback and tracks the key metrics that really matter.
For 15% off a WHOOP membership, use the code SPORTSJOE at checkout.
For more information on WHOOP, click here. 
