The Power of Sleep
You’re training for a half marathon. You’ve determined a training plan and have been logging many, many miles. You understand that runners need to develop their strength, so you are incorporating strength workouts into your routine. You’ve stepped up your nutrition plan, and are eating 3 balanced meals a day and snacking on nourishing foods before and after workouts. Between work, training, and your social life, you’ve got a lot going on! So you’ve been getting to bed late. Every morning when your alarm goes off, you groan and get out of bed for your morning run. You never feel rested. And your performance is suffering.
Sleep is a key component of athletic performance and recovery. If you don’t make sleep a priority, you will not perform optimally. Most athletes are pouring so much time and energy into their training, but don’t consider sleep to be a component of their training. Don’t waste your hard work by not getting enough sleep!!
Here are some of the negative consequences of not getting enough sleep:
Yikes! Increased risk of injuries??? Decreased endurance, strength, and speed? Decreased mental health & increased stress?
Hopefully you are adding “adequate sleep” to your goals. Here is how much sleep athletes need per night:
Yes, that’s a lot of sleep. And it may require some sacrifices to get it. Keep in mind that if you cannot get that much sleep at night, naps can count toward your total sleep. Although it’s ideal to get in all your hours of sleep at night.
Here’s my own experience regarding sleep & performance.
I’ve always been a early bird. All through my high school years, I went to bed pretty early and never struggled to get our of bed in the morning. In fact, I often had commitments before the school day started - like young life & marching band - and needed to leave the house by 6:30am. I almost always got 9 hours of sleep.
Then college started. I was taking maximum credit hours, running cross country and track, working an on-campus job, and trying to balance that all with a social life. I wasn’t prioritizing my time well, and was sacrificing sleep. My running performance that year was OK, but not where I hoped it would be.
The following year, I decided to prioritize sleep again. I aimed for at least 8 hours a night. That sometimes meant I missed social events or studied a bit less for an exam. As a result, my stress levels were lower and my academic performance was better. AND my running times and consistency improved greatly! That Fall I was an alternate for our Nationals squad which finished 2nd in the country!
I attribute much of the improvement from freshman to sophomore year to sleep!
Here’s what some professional athletes have said about the role sleep plays in their performance & training:
“Eat, sleep, and swim, that’s all I can do.” - Michael Phelps
“I think sleep is just as important as diet and exercise.” - Grant Hill
“Sleep is half my training.” - Jarrod Shoemaker
“If I don’t sleep 11-12 hours a day, it’s not right.” - Roger Federer
“A well-rested body is a healthier, more efficient, more capable one. This could be the hardest thing to accomplish on my to-do list, but it always makes a difference.” -Kerri Walsh
“Sleep is extremely important to me - I need rest and recovery in order for the training I do to be absorbed by my body.” - Usain Bolt
“I always get my rest and I think that’s one of the things that people don’t talk often about. Your body heals and repairs itself better than anything. Being able to get some sleep really does a great cause for your recovery and helping you wake with a renewed, fresh mental and physical outlook.” - Larry Fitzgerald
Here are some “do’s” and “don'ts” for getting enough sleep.
DO:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule (even on weekends & holidays)
Turn down the heat (a cooler bedroom is key to better sleep)
Reduce light (consider blackout curtains or an eye mask)
Drown out noise (use a fan or white noise machine)
Utilize relaxation techniques before bed (yoga, reading, herbal tea, music, etc.)
DON’T:
Text before bed
Use a backlit screen before bed
Leave your phone ringer on at night
Eat a big meal before bed
Drink alcohol or caffeine before bed (can reduce sleep quality or make sleeping difficult)
Take naps longer than 30 minutes
Sweet dreams!
Hi, I’m Anna!
Welcome to the Nutrition with Anna blog! Sharing recipes, sports nutrition tips, & inspiration to eat foods that fuel your lifestyle and athletic goals without rules or restrictions.