SLEEP!!  How many hours do you get and how many do you really need…what’s your “magic” number?  Everyone’s “magic” number will vary because we all have different sleep needs. The general rule of thumb is to attempt to get 6-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep to be able to perform at your level best.  I realize some of you just read “6-9 hours” and laughed because you can’t remember the last time you achieved that many hours of sleep…in a row.  Well, I hope you choose to take advantage of the information sent out during this challenge to help you figure out what your magic number is and how to achieve it.

Here’s the challenge.  For every night you are able to sleep between 6-9 hours in a row, you will earn 1 point.  The challenge will begin on Monday, December 3rd and end on Monday, December 31st (so you can stay up ALL night on New Year’s Eve if you want!).  Choose one person on your team to keep track of your points.  The team with the most points at the end of the month will win a catered lunch!!

If you’re interested in figuring out how many hours of sleep you really need, start tonight by following the steps below:

Start a sleep journal, keep it by your bed and take notes of the following:
~ the time you lie down to fall asleep (not to read a book or watch TV)
~ the time you wake up, answer the below questions:
~ how many times did you wake up
~ are you awake before your alarm sounds
~ how many time did you hit the snooze button
~ are you still sleepy or energized
~ what time do you start to feel sleepy in the evening

If you’re waking up sleepy, start out by going to bed an hour earlier.  I realize this is an obvious solution, but it really can make the difference between having a so-so day and having a GREAT day :

 

 

12-06-12

I found this great article that I would recommend everyone take some time to read BUT I realize you may not get around to it right away, so I will highlight two points I feel are important.

“How Running Affects Sleep (and Vice Versa)”:

1. Your body NEEDS sleep in order to be repaired.  REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) should sound familiar to you.  These are the 2 cycles your body alternates between, each lasting 90min.  Your body repairs itself throughout the duration of your sleep but particularly during your REM aka deep sleep.

2. People who exercise regularly have reported falling asleep quicker and being able to stay asleep making it easier for them to experience that “deep sleep” we require.

If you are having trouble sleeping and do not participate in an exercise regimen currently, start one today!  It could make all the difference.

Do your best to find some time to read this article, it’s very informative!  Email me with any questions 🙂

http://runningresearchnews.com/News_And_Events.php?cid=1&iid=157

 

Give this a try!

One of our fellow employees brought this to my attention earlier this week.  It’s a sleep app he has used and thought may be useful to some of you :).  The app is called Sleep Cycle (for the iphone).  You put your phone on the edge of your bed at night and it uses the internal gyroscope in your phone to measure how often you move at night and how restful your sleep is. It also tracks how long you were asleep and some other statistics.  Click the link below to view the app.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sleep-cycle-alarm-clock/id320606217?mt=8

 And the winning team is….

Team Traver!!!  Congratulations!!