Hey packlings 👋
Let’s congratulate Dakotah Lindwurm for her marathon performance in Paris! Also, what’s the scoop on this summer’s 8x8x8 Challenge? Learn all this and more in this week's edition of Sleep & Fitness!
🏃 Congrats to Dakotah Lindwurm - the top American at the Paris Olympics!
We’re super excited to congratulate Dakotah Lindwurm on her 12th place finish in the marathon at the Paris Olympics this past Sunday. She’s lovingly referred to by many as “the girl from Minnesota who smiles when she runs,” and we couldn’t be more proud of the race that she put in to finish as the top American in the race. Dakotah is known for her relentless pursuit - going from a DII walk-on to now an Olympian. She’s also known for the incredible amount of mileage she puts on during training - regularly topping 100 mile weeks during her peaks. That’s why we were so excited to partner with Dakotah this year - to play a small part in helping her rest and recover from all those miles, and sharing those proud Minnesota roots. Way to go Dakotah - enjoy some incredibly well deserved time off!
💤 The 2024 8x8x8 Challenge Comes to a Close
Eight days of running eight miles and sleeping eight hours a night - that’s the 8x8x8 Challenge. This summer, over 100 people signed up and over a dozen are set to complete the challenge with a perfect record! For the biggest event in sleep and fitness, amateurs and pros alike are lacing up their shoes to go above and beyond the distance goals. Collectively, the dedicated pack members have run over 700 miles already! To stay energized for the long distance, runners aim to be in bed eight hours or more every night, combining the essential balance of exercise and rest. Looking to get in on the action? The challenge is still open to complete during any eight days before the end of August! Stay tuned for the grand prize winner to be announced on September 1st!
🏊 Team USA Swimmers Swear By College Dorm Sleep Routine
US Olympians, Erin Gemmell and Claire Weinstein credit their ability to wake up for early swim practices to the calming environment of their college dorm room. Nineteen year old Gemmell took home silver in the freestyle relay on August 1st, and said the last thing she does before bed is chat with her roommate. The competitive swimmer finds it easier to wind down and get good quality sleep after a conversation in the dark, as opposed to staring at her phone. Her teammate Weinsten shares her struggle with anxiety and self-doubt, and her use of self-affirmations to reassure herself. The company provided by a dorm room gives the athletes a support system for their Olympic-level challenges, but also someone who can relate to the struggle of balancing school work on top of training. Who can you talk to before bed to decompress like these Olympians?
🚀 NASA’s Tips for the Best Naps
NASA doesn't just hold the authority on researching our universe, they can also tell you the best spaces and times for efficient naps. Listening to your body’s clock and ensuring an optimal environment for rest are two of the most important factors for making the most of any sleep, and NASA isn’t reserving their tips for just astronauts. Their fatigue management specialists shared that even a ten minute nap can improve performance for up to three hours, and will be most effective if done proactively. They recommend not waiting for your head to start nodding, but to instead schedule yourself some time in a cool, quiet, dark, and reclined space. Not only will this improve your alertness while awake, but it will also help prevent sleepless nights. While some people struggle with the lingering grogginess of sleep inertia after a nap, NASA advises proactive countermeasures such as keeping them less than 30 minutes and minimizing prior sleep loss to prevent this groggy feeling after a nap.
🧘 Sleep Better With These Yoga Poses Before Bed
Breathe deeply and sooth your muscles and mind with these yoga poses to help you sleep. Yoga can help you get in the right state to drift off by calming your nervous system with relaxing movements; however, not every pose has this effect. Rather than getting your heart rate up, you should prioritize positions that alleviate stress. Forward fold, bridge pose, butterfly, and seated twist are a few top contenders recommended to reduce cortisol levels (the hormone associated with stress). Look into guided tutorials as well if you’d like more structure for the timing of each pose, or turn on some nature sounds to further empty your mind. Try these poses for 20-30 minutes before bed to incorporate a new natural sleep aid into your daily routine!
Whether it’s staying up to date on our Olympians, hearing from NASA on the best ways to nap, or trying new yoga poses for a relaxed mind - we’re on a journey to improve our routine sleep and fitness. Remember to follow @lagoonsleep on Instagram for your daily dose of sleep & fitness news and entertainment.
