Sleep: The Free and Easy Way to Train Your Body and Mind

If you're missing out on a few z's, you might be missing out on getting better-at everything. I'm not just saying that sleep will make you more mentally alert, which it will--I'm saying that sleep will help aid muscle growth and recovery, increase athletic performance, and enable your mind to better retain information. If you are weight training, endurance running etc., you are cheating yourself--you are limiting your potential. But wait, there's more! Lack of sleep also weakens your willpower because your body and mind are both tired. This will lead to a less intense workout and an inability to workout with high intensity. Yes, of course, there will be some times when you're going to miss out on sleep, but it is very important to sleep more when you can-especially before athletic events (games, meets, etc.). The recommended amount of sleep is 8 hours. Add "sleeping more" to your new years resolutions-it will help you get that better body and happier mind.