CrossFit Sweat Shop – Walnut Creek

From the Blog

Sleep Supps

Posted under: Nutrition

Nothing beats a good night’s sleep.  Up until about 8 years ago I would lay down in my bed, close my eyes, and the next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes 9-10 hours later, often times in the exact same position I feel asleep in!  However, I’ve been chasing that type of sleep for the last 8 years.  I still fall asleep within minutes, sometimes even less than a minute of laying down, but I will often wake up between 3a.m.-4.am. and struggle to fall back asleep.  I’m not a fan of OTC drugs although I have taken them occasionally, and I definitely won’t consider prescription sleep aids.  But I’ve recently started taking ZMA each night before bed and I feel it has significantly helped me to stay asleep, and wake up feeling rested.  There are only 3 ingredients, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin B-6.  Zinc and Magnesium are important to everyone, but especially those that exercise.  Here’s some more info on Magnesium (disclaimer – while there are many clinical studies referenced, this is still the internet).  There are plenty of different brands of ZMA , since there’s nothing proprietary about these minerals, and they are also really inexpensive, but some versions also contain 5-HTP, which will definitely help most people sleep, I’m just a little wary of taking something long term that has a more direct effect on my hormones.  So if you’ve already reduced your caffeine intake, and you’re not taking pre-workout right before the 7:30pm class, but still struggle to get good sleep, ZMA may be worth a try.

About Nabil

Owner and coach at CrossFit Sweat Shop since opening in 2009.

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