Sleep is quite literally essential for everyone, but of course we all knew that. What perhaps you didn’t quite know was the extremes to which sleep can help or hinder our day, especially regarding exercise.
Is 8 hours enough?
Whilst we all strive for 8 hours of sleep as it’s typically known as the golden number, those participating in sport, particularly those at an elite level, should be aiming for 10 (or more) hours. Sleep should be considered with equal importance as training and diet to allow to body sufficient recovery. This is due to the mental and muscular stress the body is put under. That said, people who recreationally participate in sport might not feel they need this. But the bottom line is, the more sleep you get, the better your body can recover. Athletes like Lebron James have been known to sleep 12 hours in peak performance times.
Busy lifestyles don’t always accommodate for luxuries like 10 hours + of sleep a night, so maybe grabbing a nap here or there, whilst not optimal for sleep hygiene, is better than under-sleeping.
Benefits of sufficient sleep-
Recovery- Getting enough high-quality sleep improves the body’s ability to deal with inflammation, producing faster healing and recovery rates.
Memory– Sleep consolidates new things you’ve learnt, picked up a new skill lately.. Perhaps some crossovers..? Sleep can help you ensure you’ve nailed those.
Promoting Cardiovascular Health- sleep allows your body to go through periods of different heart rates, whilst also repairing cells and tissues.
Impacts of not sufficient sleep-
- Inhibited ability- In a study of male team-sport athletes who were sleep-deprived, average and total sprint times decreased .
- Decreased accuracy.
- Quicker exhaustion– In a study of male runners and volleyball players, both groups of athletes exhausted faster after sleep deprivation.
- Decreased reaction time.
- Difficulty learning and decision making- back with those crossovers!
- Risk of injury- Sleeping for six or fewer hours has been shown to nearly double your risk of injury (!).
- Increase risk of illness – Poor sleep habits are associated with lower resistance to illness. Whilst asleep, your body produces cytokines, these hormones help the immune system fight infections.
The Do’s and Don’ts’.
Do’s
- Create an appropriate sleep environment. Your sleeping space should be dark and cool with little to no noise. Your sleep environment should be used only for sex and sleep.
- Have a wind-down routine. Activities such as reading, taking a bath, or meditating can help you relax and get ready for sleep.
- Keep naps brief, if you take them at all. Naps should be no more than an hour and avoided past 3pm.
- Reduce stressors. Not only do mental stressors affect sleep quality, but they also impact performance overall.
Donts
- Don’t drink alcohol and caffeine before bedtime. These can interrupt sleep or lead to more disturbed sleep- even if you don’t feel it!!
- Stay away from electronics in the hours before bedtime. Including TVs, phones, and laptops. The blue light emitted can alter your circadian rhythm.
- Listen to loud noises
Wind down routine-
Consider a wind down routine a sign for your body that you are ready for bed. It’s so important to keep this consistent. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of things you do, try to keep them at a similar time and order everyday.
Examples of things that could make up a good wind down routine could be:
> Switching off electronics 30 minutes before sleep
> Skincare/Teeth/Haircare
> Could you spare 10 minutes to reflect on your day in a journal? Or perhaps read a book?
> Spraying your pillow with lavender
> Stretch/meditate
> Turn off main lights and opt for dim lamps
> Have a herbal tea