Major league sleeping: three tips to out sleep the competition

We’re coming back to one of my favorite topics at Major League Mindset - SLEEP. If you’re a serious athlete looking to unlock your true potential, you probably spend a lot of time working on your mechanics, increasing your strength and stamina, and upping your mental and nutrition games. 

When it comes to sleep though, many are not approaching it like the true competitive edge it can be. Looking at sleep like it’s a sport is one way you can impact *all* areas of your performance and in my view, sleep is the foundation upon which everything else rests on.

So, why isn’t everyone optimizing their sleep? Well, you can probably think of a few reasons. Our fast paced modern lifestyle plus constant usage of digital devices has made it harder and harder to unplug and get the sleep that we need in order to perform at our peak.

Below are three tips to help you outsleep the competition. Remember, it is crucial to have a set PM routine and create an environment where you can catch the right amount of ZZZs, and you’ll slowly but surely gain a leg up on the competition. Sounds like a great deal right?

1. Be In Bed For 9-10 Hours (so you can sleep for at least 8)

   • Maybe you’re lucky, and you can fall asleep immediately as soon as you hit the pillow. For most of us (more often than not), we’re going to be spending some time in bed before we actually fall asleep, toss and turn during the night, and also get up to go to the bathroom. Therefore, if you head to bed 8 hours before you need to wake up, you’re probably getting closer to 7.5, 7, or even less hours of sleep.

     • Make sure you’re building up a buffer. If for instance you need to be awake by 6:30, try to be in bed by 9:30. That way you’re giving yourself enough wiggle room. 

2. Limit Inputs Before Sleeping

   • It can be incredibly tempting to head off to bed and bring your phone and scroll through Tiktok, Instagram, or whatever else you might be looking at, but this is something that you should try to avoid right before you head into bed. The earlier that you can shut off your devices, the better.

     • Try putting your phone and electronics away 30-60 minutes before you go to bed. The earlier you can put your devices down before bed, the better quality (REM and DEEP) sleep you will get. You can use that time to reflect on your day, take some “mental reps” for your next game, meditate, or whatever else you feel might be useful to wrap up your day and get ready for the next one. Know that a good day tomorrow starts the night before!

3. Have A Great Sleep Environment

   • It can be pretty tough to try and fall asleep if there is a dog barking constantly outside, cars keep driving past your window, or a streetlight is flooding your room with brightness. Think about all the things that can make your sleep a more pleasant experience. Ask yourself these three questions:

     1. Is it dark enough? If not, consider getting a sleep mask to put over your eyes or invest in blacking out your windows or upgrading to a good set of blinds.

     2. Is there too much noise? Noise canceling apps and machines can work wonders here. I highly recommend using one to drown out whatever noise might disturb you throughout the night. 

     3. What temperature do I feel most comfortable sleeping in? As a basis of comparison, a temperature of roughly 65F is generally considered optimal for sleeping, but again, experiment with what works best for you.

Training, good nutrition, upping your mental game. These are all critical components of competing at a high level, but the benefits of being well rested cascade across everything that you do as an athlete. You’ll be sharper mentally and physically, and you’ll more consistently be able to show up and perform at your best. Talk about a true performance enhancer! If you haven’t yet, start thinking about how *you* can create the optimum sleep environment and begin out sleeping the competition.