Sleep is a critical determinant in your mental and physical well-being and the truth is that most of us do not receive nearly enough of it to maintain a healthy lifestyle. No matter your age, your body requires enough sleep to function at optimal levels. Certain adverse effects will begin to show and distract your body's performance when deprived of it.
Why is sleep so important?
An average person needs about 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. For an athlete or someone in consistent fitness training, you may need more. Just as those who are more physically active take up more calories than most people, they need extra hours of sleep to endure their rigorous routine. Lack of adequate sleep not only leaves you tired and feeling gloomy but also significantly affects your body's performance, such as the ability to repair itself naturally.
How Sleep Affects Athletic Performance
Sleep is the only activity that gives you so many benefits with so little effort. An adequate dose every night gives you more energy to engage in workouts, and allows your muscles to heal and grow each night.
In addition to a healthy diet, quality sleep produces hormones that are essential for muscle-building, including human growth hormone (HGH). During the N3 Stage of your non-rapid eye movement sleep, extra blood flows to your muscles and tissue growth and repair occurs. During REM sleep, your muscles relax relieving any tension built up from the day and reducing chronic pain. Many of the critical restorative prosperities within the body occur during your sleeping hours.
The specific benefits one can reap include:
- Strengthen Mental Fortitude: Training for competition takes more than just the physical energy – you need as much mental strength. Getting enough shut-eye time boosts mood alertness and cognitive function, which are both essential in attaining your "A" game.
- Boost Your Coordination: Sleeping allows your body to consolidate memories linked to your motor skills. It cements the recall associated with body movements. So, when you want to hone your skills, such as shifting gears on your bike or repeat the perfect tennis backhand you did during practice, getting a little more slumber can be as essential as your physical training sessions.
- You'll be faster: optimal slumber could translate into faster reflexes. A telling example, basketball players who add an average of 2 more hours of sleep a night increase their speed by 5% and their accuracy by 9%.
Essential Tips for Getting Good Sleep
When scrambling to meet the demands of your busy schedule, getting fewer hours of sleep may seem like an ultimate solution. However, even minimal sleep deprivation takes a substantial toll on your energy, mood, mental sharpness, and ability to deal with stress. Over time, chronic sleep loss wreaks havoc on your physical and psychological health. The good news is that you don't have to choose between productivity and your health.
Here are a few tips:
- Stick to quenching your nighttime thirst with water. Otherwise, taking caffeinated or alcoholic drinks could impair the quality of your sleep.
- Get on a regular sleeping schedule. For example, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day could condition your body for sufficient and quality sleep.
- Get off your phone 30 minutes before the time you intend to fall asleep. If you can't sleep for nine hours straight, take naps to get additional sleep during the day.
- Avoid caffeine, Refined Carbs, and Sugary drinks as they may disrupt your sleep.
- Use earplugs if you're living with a snoring partner or experience loud music or traffic outside your home at night.
