We all know how important sleep is. We know we never seem to get enough either. One component that would help us all sleep better is physical activity. Not only does activity on a regular basis increase our longevity, it reduces anxiety and depression, improves our heart health and boosts our immunity. In order for us to perform at our best, sleep is important for athletes and non-athletes alike. It is essential for restoration and peak performance.
Tips for everyone for better sleep:
Wind down at night: read, take a bath, pray or meditate.
Avoid electronics a couple of hours before you go to bed.
Avoid heavy, spicy meals and alcohol close to bedtime
Stop caffeine in the afternoon
Create a relaxing sleep environment: be sure your room is dark and cool (65 degrees is ideal)
Tips for athletes for better sleep (all the above), plus:
Keep your training schedule consistent.
Try to complete exercise 1-2 hours before bedtime
Avoid overtraining
If you must nap, keep it short (less than an hour) and don't nap after 3 pm
Stay hydrated
What exactly happens when we sleep and why does it matter?
When it comes to athletic performance, sleep deprivation not only affects endurance, but also hormone levels. When athletes don't get enough sleep, cortisol levels rise and human growth hormone decreases. Cortisol is a stress hormone and HGH is necessary to assist tissue repair. That being said, the most restorative and rejuvenating sleep stage is deep sleep. The average time most adults spend in deep sleep is one to 1.5 hours (15-25%) of total sleep. This time decreases with age. Deep sleep enables muscle growth and repair and is vital for supporting short and long-term memory as well as overall learning.
Benefits of deep sleep:
* Energy restoration and regeneration of cells
* Increased blood supply to muscles
* Pituitary gland secretes HGH, which helps muscle growth
* Strengthened immune system
* Increased glucose metabolism helps memory support
About 90 minutes after falling asleep, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep occurs. During REM sleep, heart rate, breathing and blood pressure increase. Your eyes move quickly back and forth behind closed eyelids. REM sleep is associated with dreaming, memory consolidation, learning, and creativity. This sleep stage makes up about 1.5 - 2 hours (20-25%) of total sleep for most adults and usually decreases with age. REM is regulated by your body clock (circadian rhythms), so sticking to a regular sleep schedule and following the above tips for better sleep will assist in more REM stage sleep. If you suffer from frequent migraines, or struggle with obesity, chances are you are not getting enough REM sleep.
Benefits of REM sleep:
Enhanced memory
Boosted mood
Increased cognitive development
Quality sleep is beneficial for everyone, especially athletes. A good total sleep goal is 7-9 hours a night. Lack of quality sleep is detrimental to athletic performance. A number of issues arise in this case: quicker exhaustion, decreased reaction time, difficulty learning a new skill, lowered agility functions, decreased accuracy, risk for injury and a lower resistance to illness.
So, create your bedtime routine, turn your bedroom into an oasis, and get healthier even while you sleep. For more information about sleep and sleep stages, check out this article from healthline.com.
Peaceful dreams to you!
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