When you're thinking about how to improve your athletic performance, sleep may not be the most important thing. But it's just as important as your training plan, nutrition, and hydration.
Why does sleep play a vital role not only for performance, but also for overall health?
Lantara, MD, a sports medicine physician at Eau Claire Mayo Clinic Health System, said, "When you sleep, your brain processes all the information you receive during the day. Sleep filters and deletes some information while storing other information in the brain. This includes absorbing new skills or techniques you may have learned that day, making them an intuitive part of your athletic performance. ”
As you push your body to become stronger, faster, and more agile, your organization is constantly wearing out. Sleep gives your body the time and energy to repair wear and tear. Because your body has already gone through these repair processes, you're less likely to be injured. You're also less likely to get sick because sleep boosts your immune system.
Studies of large *** members have shown that when they don't get enough sleep, their reaction time and accuracy decrease. A study focused on basketball, free throws and three-pointers found that sleep-deprived athletes had a 50% decrease in accuracy. Sleep for 10 hours or more can increase accuracy by up to 10%. That's a potential performance difference of 60%.
Getting enough sleep also helps with your mental health and resilience. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has added sleep screening to its best practices to monitor conditions such as insomnia and sleep apnea.
So, what is adequate sleep? It depends on your age and stage of life:
Children: Children aged 6-12 years should get 9-12 hours of sleep.
Teens: Young people aged 13-18 should get 8-10 hours of sleep.
Adults: People over the age of 18 need 7 hours or more of sleep.
Teens face many challenges to achieve an optimal sleep of 8 to 10 hours, including the demands of training, time for competitions and practice, school, work, and social and family time.
"During adolescence, the body's natural sleep-wake cycle changes, called circadian rhythm," says Dr. Lantara. Teenagers tend to go to bed late at night and wake up late in the morning. That's why these early morning exercises can disrupt teens' sleep reserves and affect the physical and mental health of *** members. ”
Just as regular training prepares you for athletic success, bedtime training prepares you for the quality of your sleep.
Effective sleep patterns include:
Avoid strenuous exercise, training, or competition one to two hours before bedtime.
Skip large meals later and don't drink alcohol and caffeine.
Create an environment conducive to sleep. Your bedroom should be quiet, dark, relaxing, and cool. Your body and mind should understand, "This is where I sleep." ”
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Allow at least 20 to 30 minutes to relax before bedtime. This includes turning off all electronic devices and screens, such as phones, tablets, and TVs. Instead, dim the lights, organize your clothes for the next day, write a journal, or do other quiet activities.
What if I still can't sleep?
Everyday life is full of stress, and these stresses can ruin your best attempts to establish healthy sleep habits. One of those stressors could be wearables that track your sleep. If you're sleep deprived, seeing frequent reminders of sleep deprivation can make you feel stressed.
"Having a good support network of family, friends, coaches and teammates can help you cope with stress," Dr Lantara said. If sleep is still elusive, consider counseling, which may include cognitive-behavioral**, mindfulness, meditation, and journaling. ”
Just as learning and mastering sports requires practice, getting a good night's sleep requires practice. The sleep habits you develop and practice now will last a lifetime.
Sleep healthily