Sleep, an Essential Component

There are 4 main components that are essential for any athlete: training, recovery, nutrition and sleep.
We tend to talk a lot about the first 3 components but not much on the last one.
The recommendations for sleep duration are as follows:
Children - 10-11 hours/day
Teens - 8.5-9.5 hours/day
Adults - 7-9 hours/day

Lack of sleep has been shown to: impair cognitive performance and mood, disturb glucose metabolism and appetite regulation which in turn can cause higher weight, decrease immune function and decrease production of hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone (these hormones assist with building and repairing muscle). 

When it comes to physical activity, sleep deprivation has been noted to cause: slower reaction times, slower sprint times, decreased aerobic performance, decreased cognitive processes (visual tracking, focus, mood, determination) and higher odds for injury.

Although there are not many studies out there, the University of Stanford has done several studies on swimmers, tennis players and basketball players. They tried to see what happens if you extend sleep time to 10 hours/day. College students had their baseline (performance and psychological tests) measured while sleeping regularly for several weeks (typical sleep day ranged 6-9 hours) and then got them to sleep at least 10 hours a day for several weeks. If they could not sleep the whole time at night, they were encouraged to take naps throughout the day. Interestingly enough the results showed they all had faster sprint times and they all had increased mood and decreased day time fatigue. 

Each sport also had specific improvements:

1. Tennis - Had about 24% better accuracy in hitting as well as 42% better hitting depth.
2. Basketball - Had improved shooting accuracy by 9% in both free throw as well as 3 point field goals. They also had a better reaction time
3. Swimming - Had faster reaction times, total faster times and 25% more kicks 

Are you ready to go to sleep yet? If you are, here are some things you can do to get a better sleep:

1. Sleep on a comfortable mattress with comfortable pillows
2. Finish eating about 2 hours before you go to sleep
3. Schedule time for sleep. If need be, set an alarm
4. Avoid caffeine or energy drinks close to bed-time
5. Dim the lights in your room and when its time to go to bed make sure your room is dark as possible
6. Turn off all screens at least an hour before bed: TV, laptop, computer, Ipad, cell phone, X-box, etc. If you feel you must text or email before bed make sure you use the light dimming apps 

Athletes should make sure they are not only training, eating and recovering right but also sleeping enough!

Good Night