Page 28 - Fully Equipped Playbook

RECOVERY
Make it as dark as possible, especially in the morning so the sun doesn’t wake you up early. I found that paper blackout shades from Amazon helped tremendously, especially in-season because I was away from my home. Also, they don’t require tools to hang and are inexpensive. Sleep masks can do the trick as well.
Find a noise machine (Dohm Classic) or download an app that plays white noise or whatever sound you prefer. Ambient sound helps block out light noises that make it hard to fall asleep, or wake you up during the night.
4. HAVE A CONSISTENT SLEEP SCHEDULE
Going to bed and waking up around the same time everyday is great for the internal clock and overall sleep quality.
5. MELATONIN SUPPLEMENTS
This really helps sometimes after a night game when I’m still amped up. Melatonin signals to our body that it's time to sleep or wake up. Our body naturally produces enough of the hormone, but taking the supplement can help you fall asleep faster on nights you’re struggling to do so on your own. It is considered safe for short term use, according to research from the Mayo Clinic, but as with any sleeping pill, should be used under doctor’s supervision. ONNIT makes my favorite, an instant melatonin spray.
6. WHOOP BAND OR OURA RING
These devices (one a wrist band, one a ring) help track sleep and recovery at night and also activity during the day. The recovery aspect is great as it will let you know when to take it easy training wise. They log your sleep cycles (LIGHT, REM, DEEP) and how long you were in each. You will easily learn the difference between a good and bad night's sleep, as well as the overall time you slept. By studying the results, you can track what you did the night before, therefore learning what helped you sleep better or not sleep well. The heart rate variability metric will help show how recovered you are.
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