Ask the Coach – Wake Me Up!

Assuming Scott is your typical age group athlete, one with a full-time job and a family, Scott probably doesn’t have the luxury of waking up anytime he wants. I’m sure he sets an alarm and is up pretty early to start his day. He might also be getting up pretty early to get in some quality training before the busy day begins.

Barring a larger health issue, there is, in general, one reason why getting out of bed is tough…. you are not getting enough sleep.  Balancing work and family is usually hectic enough, so add in 6-12 hours of training each week and your body needs even more rest. However, since we are squeezing in more demands for our time with training, sleep is often something that goes first. But we need sleep, and if you are getting enough of it, you should find it a lot easier to get out of bed in the morning.

• Sleep is critical to the recovery process. While you sleep your body produces HGH (human growth hormone) and helps to repair the damage that your training has done to your body. We are constantly breaking down and rebuilding to get faster and stronger – but we need to have the rebuilding keep up with the breaking down or we are in for trouble. Lack of sleep can also increase the stress hormone cortisol.

Some suggestions for getting more sleep:

• Don’t do intense training before bed, as it will be more difficult to fall asleep.
• If you are sensitive to caffeine, avoid it (and other stimulants)  in the afternoon and evening.
• Go to bed as close to the same time every day, even on the weekends and wake up around the same time. If you can, shoot for at least 8 hours of sleep, especially if your training load (volume and/or intensity is high).
• Stay hydrated. If you are dehydrated, you might feel sluggish, adding to the difficulty of getting out of bed.
• Make sure your bed and bedroom are comfortable!
• Do some light stretching (yoga) right before bed to help you relax.

If you are constantly finding it difficult to get out of bed because of fatigue, re-evaluate your training schedule. Skip a workout here or there to make sure you get enough rest. It is OK to skip a workout! If you find this challenging, you might consider hiring a coach, as they will monitor your training load and recovery and work with your schedule to get you performing well. And check out Sage Rountree’s new book: The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery.