One powerhouse in your recovery toolkit is often overlooked: sleep. Not just any sleep, but deep, uninterrupted, body-rebuilding sleep. This is when your body clocks into repair mode, stitching torn muscles, calming inflammation, replenishing energy reserves, and reinforcing every rep and stretch from your PT session. LESS SLEEP MEANS MORE PAIN Every night you get solid sleep, your body is hard at work behind the scenes. In deep sleep, the dreamy stages three and four of non-REM sleep, your brain releases growth hormones. These hormones help regenerate tissues and promotes healing in bones, muscles, and cells. Without enough of this downtime, your body’s repair team works overtime with half the tools. Missing out on rest doesn’t just make you tired; it can actually make your pain worse. Sleep deprivation has been shown to heighten pain sensitivity, which means even minor movements can feel majorly uncomfortable. That pain can make physical therapy feel more like a punishment than progress, causing your motivation to dip and your results to stall. PAIN RELIEF STARTS IN BED Sleep Your Way to Stronger Muscles and Less Pain
STUCK IN A PAIN-SLEEP SPIRAL? Pain often disrupts sleep, and poor sleep leads to more pain. It’s a vicious cycle. Tossing and turning, waking up frequently, and feeling groggy during the day all interfere with your recovery. If your nights are restless, it could be a major reason your healing has hit a wall. TIPS FOR BETTER ZZZS The good news? You can break the cycle. Start with small but mighty changes: • Stick to a schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even weekends. • Skip late-night snacks: Finish eating at least two hours before bedtime to avoid midnight wake-up calls from a full stomach. • Cool and dark is key: A cool, dark room helps signal to your body it’s time to shut down. • Reserve your bed for sleep only: Keep work, TV, and scrolling out of the sheets. • Support sore spots: Use pillows or braces to prevent painful tossing and turning. Recovery doesn’t just happen in the gym or at your therapy sessions; it also happens while you sleep. So, don’t skimp on rest. Give your body the quiet, healing hours it needs, and you’ll wake up stronger, steadier, and one step closer to your comeback.
Sudoku
Spinach, Feta, and Egg Stuffed Peppers
Inspired by EatingWell.com
INGREDIENTS • 2 large bell peppers, any color • 1/2 tsp salt • 4 large eggs • 2 tbsp reduced-fat milk • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1/2 cup chopped onion • 2 cups chopped spinach • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Halve peppers lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. 3. Place peppers cut-side up in an 8-inch-square microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high 2 1/2–3 minutes until tender; pat dry and sprinkle with salt. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and black pepper. 5. To a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil, then add onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. 6. Add spinach and cook, stirring 1–2 minutes more until spinach is wilted. 7. Divide spinach mixture evenly among pepper halves. Sprinkle with feta, and top with egg mixture. 8. Bake 30–35 minutes until filling is set.
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