Sleep deprivation can severely affect your mental health. When your psychological state of mind is not good, then it can affect how you perform your other daily activities, and that includes martial arts as well. You cannot properly concentrate on your training, and your performance goes down. One of the ways through which you can improve your sleep is by having the right bed. If you have an old bed, you need to discard it as it will cause problems with your sleeping. However, let’s discuss what could happen if you don’t get proper sleep when you are training.
What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep?
If you are not getting enough sleep, then the results are disastrous. We are going to discuss some points of why it is important to get a good sleep of around 7 to 8+ hours. We are going to list some of the things that can happen if you don’t have proper sleep:
Lack of Judgment
When you don’t have enough sleep, the first thing that gets affected is your lack of judgment. You need to be alert and should be able to make wise decisions not only during martial arts training but in other aspects of life as well. To excel in your field, you need to have a sharp mind that helps you in making the best sense of judgment.
You won’t Remember Things You Learn
There is a conception regarding martial that it only involves physical exertion; however, in reality, it involves mental aspects as well. Professional martial arts instructor also stresses the importance of having an active state of mind. It is because you need to be active and have a clear judgment of knowing when to strike and where to strike.
When your mind is attentive, you can easily remember the things that you learn during training. On the contrary, you will be confused and won’t perform well.
Increases Stress Level
This is the most important and known fact; less sleep will increase your stress level. This will badly affect your drilling, concentration, and performance. Further, you will make poor decisions when your mind is not in the right state. Not to forget, you are inclined to make more mistakes than usual when you are stressed. Don’t let the stress affect your mind due to lack of sleep.
How To Get Better Sleep?
There are no hard and fast rules that you need to follow. There is only one simple step to do, and that is you plan a better sleep schedule, and soon you will feel the amazing effects of being more rested. With that, you will have increased concentration and productivity. Let’s see some of the tips that you can follow and will put you on the right track:
1. Get 7 To 9 Hours Of Sleep Every Night
Usually, we hear people saying getting 8 hours of sleep is good enough, but you don’t have to follow this rule wholeheartedly. You can still function better if you get to sleep between 7 to 9 hours. You just need to choose a time that best fits your schedule. If you go to bed at 10 pm, then your wake up time should be 6 am.
2. Switch Off Your Electronics
Electronics or gadgets are something that we cannot live without, and spending a single day without it seems daunting. But nobody realizes that it can affect your sleep as well. Switch off all your electronics 2 hours before your bedtime; for instance, your bedtime is at 10 pm, switch all your gadgets at 8 pm.
3. Do Something Relaxing After Switching Off Your Electronics
Once you switch off your electronics, you need to do something that is considered relaxing and enjoyable. You could do stretches, read a good book, write in a journal, or whatever that doesn’t require the use of electronics. Enjoyable activities will assist mentally and aid in getting a good night’s sleep.
Final Thoughts
If you are someone who is learning or practicing martial arts, good sleep is vital. In particular, when it asks for full concentration and mental alertness. Sleep deprivation can result in disaster.