Many martial artists spend their time, money, blood, sweat, and tears to become better martial artists, but did you know that too little sleep can sabotage your efforts? Sleep is very important for those of us who train any type of sport or physical activity. In fact, our sleep demands are higher than those of those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Many factors can contribute to you not getting enough sleep. These can be specific to your personal situation, of course, but they all have the same result, reducing the effectiveness of your martial arts training and increasing recovery needs as a result of your hard work.

shift work?

I know exactly what you’re going through if you fall into this category. For almost a decade I worked in just about every type of rotation you can imagine. The factory I worked at experimented with 8-hour shifts, 12-hour shifts, and even rotations that incorporated 4 days on and 4 days off to accommodate a 24/7 production schedule. This shift work was the biggest challenge I faced when it came to training. He would miss two straight weeks of evening classes while working evening shifts. And night shifts were a nightmare for martial training. But it gets worse.

Inadequate sleep worsens metabolic disorders

Not getting enough sleep can directly affect metabolic disorders such as high blood pressure, obesity, and even type 2 diabetes. Part of the benefit of your martial training is that it can get you in tremendous shape. But if you don’t get enough sleep, you’re counteracting some of the benefits.

We all know how hard it is to even get motivated to walk out the door and attend your martial arts class when we’re tired. Let’s fix that right now. Consider the following tips to get the sleep you need to enhance your training, not detract from it.

1. skip the pills – Lots of people do this, and it’s a mistake. You don’t get the deep restoration when you take sleeping pills. Also, this is just a band-aid and doesn’t address the underlying causes in the first place. This is the same logic as the man who places a piece of duct tape over the “check engine light” on the dash of his car thinking he is fixing the problem. Please do not do it.
2. Turn off your TV or computer – Bright lights wake you up. Staring at a computer screen before planning to sleep is not a great idea. Grab your favorite book and read a few pages while you get comfortable. Dim the lights and avoid the blue spectrum.
3. Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon – This should be pretty obvious. Select caffeine-free herbal teas for your afternoon and evening beverage. Bonus points for you if you buy a tea specifically designed to make you sleepy, like Sleepy Time tea, for example.
4. Get sunlight during the day. Shoot for 30 to 60 minutes daily.
5. darken your room. Get yourself some opaque shades if you must. Studies show that even a little bit of light can interfere with the quality of your sleep. Even wearing a sleep mask can aid in the production of melatonin, which is great for the martial athlete’s training recovery.
6. Establish a regular routine. We thrive on regular schedules and habits. Establish a bedtime routine that may contain meditation and even visualization of yourself excelling in your chosen martial art.
7. Don’t drink too much before bed. Not only should you try to go to the bathroom right before bed, but not consuming too much fluid before bed will allow you to sleep continuously, since you don’t go to the bathroom when you want to sleep.

These are just a few suggestions to help you get a good night’s sleep and better prepare for your martial training to come.

Modern Samurai Society – Standing Together We Pack A Punch

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