This post is sponsored by Celestial Seasonings but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for everyone, especially those in endurance sports including running, swimming, biking and obstacle course racing. It’s during sleep hours that our bodies do the bulk of recovery from our daily hard training and builds us into better athletes.  

A few years ago, I went through a long bout of insomnia (sleeping only 4 to 5 hours a night) and just figured I could power through it with little or no consequence. However, I became increasingly anxious, irritable, had difficulty concentrating and made rash decisions. I wasn’t seeing improvements in my runs and workouts and many days I wouldn’t have the muscle strength or endurance to get them done. My stress was out of control as evidenced by sky-high cortisol levels that would never level out during the day as they should. I knew I needed to do something about my “sleep hygiene” pronto. Creating a “calming” ritual by drinking a healthy tea in the evening, was one of my strategies. Read on to learn my tactics and tips for better sleep: Continue reading →