I've seen this question asked a multitude of times, it's obviously different for everyone but a lot of people train on an evening and afterwards it can be very hard to wind down. So we thought we'd share a few tips on what works best for us.
1. Magnesium tablets
Hard BJJ training can leave your muscles sore and tight, Magnesium helps relax muscles by regulating calcium and potassium levels, reducing cramps and post-training stiffness.
Rolling can spike cortisol levels, which can interfere with sleep, Magnesium helps lower cortisol, making it easier to unwind and fall asleep.
Magnesium activates GABA receptors, which promote deep, restorative sleep, this helps prevent overthinking and mental restlessness after training.
Magnesium regulates melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep-wake cycles. This leads to faster sleep onset and fewer nighttime awakenings.
Hard rolling can overstimulate the nervous system, making it hard to wind down, Magnesium helps shift the body into parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) mode, essential for recovery.
2. Reduce Screen Time
Screen time wrecks your brain. We all know it. Every time you enter a different room in your house your brain registers a 'state change' and has to think differently and accordingly to the room (or state) that you're in. Every single tiktok or instagram reel you view is conducive to a state change in your brain. It's exhausting. So to combat this, we've found that shutting your phone off or at least keeping it out of reach for an hour before you'd normally hit the hay will help massively in shutting down and getting some rest.
3. Nasal Dialators
The latest big thing across the internet, these bad lads actually work. You can pick them up pretty cheap from amazon and you basically stick a magnet to each side of your nose, then attach a clip that pulls them apart. By doing so you increase the space in your nasal cavity. If, like us your nose is battered from years of combat sports (it gets pretty crushed doing Jiu Jitsu) then this is a big help. You sleep much better when you breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. So give them a try if it's a problem you've been having.
Let us know how you get on, or if you've got any tips you'd like to share!
See you on the mats,
Rick