You Didn’t Sleep Wrong. You Are Living Compensated

You Didn’t Sleep Wrong. You Are Living Compensated.

Have you ever woken up with a kink in your neck or a stiff back and thought, “I must have slept wrong”? Here’s the truth: you didn’t sleep wrong you were awake wrong.

During the day, our bodies compensate for weakness, stress, and imbalance. We slouch, overuse certain muscles, hold tension, and breathe shallow. The nervous system works overtime to keep us functional, but it’s not sustainable.

Then comes sleep, the one time your body stops compensating. When the nervous system finally downshifts into repair mode, those hidden issues rise to the surface. The neck kink or stiff back isn’t from “bad sleep posture.” It’s from the compensations your body has been masking all day finally revealing themselves.

The Science of True Recovery

Sleep isn’t just “rest.” It’s when your body’s repair systems activate. Each phase of sleep has a specific job:

1. Light Sleep (NREM 1 & 2):

The nervous system starts to calm. Heart rate and breathing slow down. This is where your body begins to reorganize memory and movement especially important for athletes learning new motor patterns.

2. Deep Sleep (NREM 3):

The physical repair stage. Growth hormone and testosterone spike, tissues rebuild, and your brain clears waste through the glymphatic system. If your body doesn’t reach this phase, you’ll feel sore, sluggish, and emotionally drained no matter how many hours you “slept.”

3. REM Sleep:

This is the emotional and cognitive integration phase. The brain processes stress, refines skill learning, and resets mood regulation.Interrupted REM = poor focus, emotional reactivity, and slower athletic response times.

Why So Many People and Athletes Don’t Sleep Deeply

Because they can’t breathe or relax properly when the body finally lets go.

Chronic tension, poor posture, and shallow breathing during the day disrupt natural airway and diaphragm function. This leads to:

• Sleep apnea

• Restless sleep

• Waking up tired or in pain

Think of sleep like charging your phone: if it can’t power down and connect to the charger properly, it won’t fully recharge. The same goes for your body.

Sleep Apnea: The 24-Hour Breathing Problem

Sleep apnea isn’t just a nighttime issue it’s a daytime breathing dysfunction. If your diaphragm is weak and you rely on upper-chest or mouth breathing, your airway lacks stability when you lie down. When muscles relax, the airway collapses, oxygen dips, and your brain jolts you awake. Over time, this constant cycle overstimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leaving you wired, tired, and inflamed.

Building Better Sleep: Creating the Conditions for Full Repair

Deep, restorative sleep isn’t something that just “happens.” It’s created through how we regulate our body and nervous system during the day and how we prepare for rest at night.

When we move through the day compensating: poor posture, shallow breathing, constant stress, our nervous system never fully powers down. That’s why nighttime becomes the moment our dysfunction shows up: muscles tighten, breathing patterns falter, and we wake up stiff or unrested.

To truly reset, we have to help the body feel safe enough to repair.

Here’s how to build a foundation for better, deeper sleep and full-system recovery:

1. Sauna or Epsom Salt Bath (Thermoregulation & Relaxation)

A short sauna session or warm Epsom salt bath before bed supports your body’s natural temperature cycle. The gentle rise in body heat followed by cooling helps signal your circadian system that it’s time for rest.

• Sauna: Enhances circulation, reduces muscle tension, and helps the nervous system downshift from sympathetic “go” mode.

• Epsom Salt Bath: Magnesium supports muscle relaxation and nervous system calm, while the warmth helps dissolve residual stress from the day.

  - Try 15–20 minutes about 1–2 hours before bed.

  
  

2. Downregulation Practice (Nervous System Reset)

Think of this as your “cool-down” for the brain and body. Simple breathwork (like 4-second inhale, 8-second exhale), gentle stretching, or progressive muscle relaxation activates the parasympathetic system and tells your body it’s safe to rest.

- This transition from doing to being allows your body to drop into deeper sleep faster and stay there longer.

3. Consistent Sleep–Wake Rhythm (Circadian Alignment)

Your sleep quality depends on rhythm and repetition. Going to bed and waking up at similar times helps regulate melatonin, cortisol, and recovery hormones; optimizing not only sleep but also metabolism and tissue repair.

- Keep your bedtime and wake-up within a one-hour window, even on weekends.

4. Gratitude & Reflection Practice (Mind-Body Integration)

A calm mind invites a calm body. Taking two minutes before bed to reflect on what went well, or to write three things you’re grateful for, helps shift your emotional state out of performance mode and into presence.

- Gratitude activates the parasympathetic nervous system, quiets mental noise, and supports deep, restorative rest.

5. Red Light Exposure (Melatonin Support)

Evening exposure to soft red light has been shown to increase melatonin levels and improve sleep quality. It mimics sunset tones, signaling your brain that it’s time to wind down.

-Use a red light lamp or red bulb for 10–20 minutes in the evening. Ideally while doing your downregulation or gratitude practice.

6. Mouth Taping (Breathing Efficiency)

Many people breathe through their mouths at night, which can lead to dehydration, poor oxygen exchange, and fragmented sleep. Mouth taping encourages nasal breathing; supporting nitric oxide production, better oxygen delivery, and calmer nervous system tone.

- Only use gentle, breathable tape designed for sleep and ensure your nasal passages are clear and you do not have untreated sleep apnea or significant breathing issues. Try it during the day at first on a walk or while doing activity so you know that you can efficiently nasal breath.

The Takeaway

Sleep is not passive. It’s the most important training session your body gets every day; one that resets, repairs, and rebuilds your entire system. By improving your breathing, posture, and nervous system regulation during the day and combining recovery rituals like sauna, breathwork, rhythm, gratitude, red light, and proper nasal breathing at night, you create the conditions for your body to do what it’s designed to do: heal and perform at its highest potential.

-Coach Jill