Rest and Recovery: A Runner’s Guide To Sleep

All your training works together to produce desired results.  Runners respect this and do their homework on training plans, nutrition, and the nuances of running shoes, to name a few.

Yet, when was the last time somebody asked you about your sleeping habits? Maybe it's because that’s considered too personal. However, it’s something we should inquire about because it’s vitally important for maximizing the value of all the other inputs.

#1. Establish Your Baseline 

Only you know how many hours of sleep you really need. This may not be possible on weekends before early morning long runs, but a late morning or afternoon nap should come close to making up the difference.

#2. Respect Your Limitations 

Getting in bed by a specific time sets the routine and conditions your sleep system. Later than that compromises the quality of your sleep, thereby resulting in some fatigue the next day. 

Find what works for you and refine your practice as necessary.

#3. Back Away from Media 

The goal is to tune into your body and mind before bedtime. Light stretching or yoga are ways to encourage this. For non-practitioners, the primary purpose of yoga and meditation is bringing your attention inward. 

For more details on body awareness, check out this podcast’s Episode 11. 

#4. Consider Natural Supplements 

Magnesium Threonate and L-Theanine are two supplements commonly recommended for improving sleep.

Magnesium Threonate has the unique quality of crossing the blood-brain barrier, which provides additional benefits – one of them is improving sleep quality. L-Theanine is an amino acid commonly found in tea leaves, particularly green tea.

Please do your research and/or consult with a physician familiar with your medical history before taking these or any other supplements.

5. Avoid Time Awareness 

Time awareness creates anxiety. Just changing your environment may be enough to reset, but doing some stretching or yoga will help to reconnect the mind with the body.

My view is that struggling to sleep means the mind and body are disconnected. Your mind is somewhere else, it’s distracted. So recenter it. 

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