How Sleep Affects Athletic Performance
Written by Martin Ebner, Head PT and sports nutrition specialist at Ebylife
As athletes (elite, professional, amateur or if you’re me, self-proclaimed), we are constantly looking for new ways to optimize every aspect of our workouts. We want to know which muscle groups to focus on and when, how many reps to do, how long to rest between exercises, how to optimize our rest days, and so on. We even count macros and calories to know what foods we are putting into our bodies and how they serve our short and long-term goals. Yet, we often brag that “I don’t need 8 hours of sleep, I perform best on 6 hours.” or “I'm fine, I'll sleep when I'm dead”.
Oftentimes, we underestimate just how important sleep is both for short-term physical performance and our long-term goals. No matter how hard we train or how many scoops of protein we shovel into our pre and post-workout smoothies, our performance will always suffer without proper sleep. As Matthew Walker, a renowned sleep researcher and author, says, “Sleep is non-negotiable.”
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is absolutely essential, especially for athletes and high-performing individuals. We often view sleep as a burden that eats up a wasteful eight hours of the night. Yet, the morning after an all-nighter we suddenly realize the importance of every minute and every hour of sleep!
Sleep allows our bodies and our minds time to recuperate. As we go through all four stages of sleep (with the most important being stage 4 or REM sleep), our heart rate slows and our tissues start to rebuild and repair. But, sleep isn’t a time when every part of our body suddenly slows or goes dormant. During sleep, nearly every area of the brain (with the exception of the prefrontal cortex) becomes just as active if not more active during sleep.
Sleep quality and quantity of sleep are two equally important measures. It’s not just a lack of sleep that can drag us down, but poor sleep patterns and disruptions prohibit us from entering REM sleep. Ideally, 7-8 hours is the amount of sleep we should be getting each and every night. Anything less, and we miss out on the vital restorative benefits that come with sleep. Not only that, but our bodies keep “count” of all the REM sleep that we deny it. That’s why sleep-deprived marathon runners start to hallucinate; their brains are halfway between reality and a REM dream state! Without adequate sleep, we are more susceptible to daytime sleepiness, poor moods, anxiety, depression, muscle atrophy, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure and stroke. Additionally, men who sleep 5-6 hours nightly compared to the recommended 8 hours record testosterone levels of a man 10 years their senior. In short, a lack of sleep can speed up the aging process and decrease hormones that are vital to muscle growth, fertility, bone mass, and much more.
Related: Testo Lab Pro review
How Sleep Improves Athletic Performance
Muscle restoration and growth are not the only ways sleep can enhance your athletic performance, although it is an important part. No matter your sport or physical activity, sleep can enhance your performance by improving:
Reaction times
Motivation
Focus
Better decision-making
Pattern recognition
Sprint performance
Injury recovery
Immune system
Stress regulation
Practice is important, but practice alone cannot make perfect. Because training in sport tends to be extreme and requires significant mental energy, this also follows you into your dreams. One animal study conducted on rats in a maze found that during sleep, rats “replayed” patterns and paths in their brains at 20x the speed they did while trying to escape the maze. This means that sleep helps to ingrain the patterns and skills learned the day before into a usable, more concrete memory. Human studies also noticed a 20-30% improvement in skilled performance after a night’s rest compared to where you were at the end of your practice session the day before.
Getting adequate sleep the night before a competition may also improve your results. One study conducted on men’s basketball players also found an increase in sprint times, free throw and three-point shot accuracy, and mental health after increasing their nightly sleep to ten hours. Similarly, both male and female swimmers who extended their sleep to 10 hours a night also noticed improved reaction times and swim-sprint speeds. 9 hours a night may also increase your performance, energy, and mental clarity the next day. When it comes down to shaving every millisecond off your PBs (personal best) or mustering up that final ounce of strength to push you through the extra rep or mile, sleep is the most effective and healthy performance enhancer you can find.
“Sleep is the greatest legal performance-enhancing drug that most people are probably neglecting in sport.”
How to get more (and better) sleep
Getting better sleep starts way before your head hits the pillow. Whether you’re struggling with sleep or just want to optimize your nighttime routine before an event or big day ahead, here are some things you can try.
Get natural light during the day
Staying cooped up inside with only the light from a computer screen can throw off your internal clock or circadian rhythm which is responsible for telling your body when to be awake and alert and when it’s sleep time. By getting consistent natural light exposure outdoors or by investing in an artificial Light therapy Lamp, it will help to realign your body’s circadian rhythm.
Leave the phone on the charger
Just as bright natural lights can signal to our bodies that it’s time to be awake, darkness signals time for sleep. The blue light from our devices can interrupt your sleep cycles and make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. It’s best to limit device use for at least one hour before bed.
Limit evening exercise
Sometimes we feel ready to collapse after a tough workout and other times we feel fired up and ready to go. Both however will likely stimulate the brain and make it increasingly difficult to wind down for bed. Try to leave at least 4 hours between exercise and sleep to allow your brain and body enough time to settle down and prepare for some shut-eye.
Get a good mattress
My parents used to always tell me “Martin. If you’re going to invest money in anything, spend it on a good mattress. After all, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll spend ⅓ of your life in bed.” With that in mind, I recently purchased an Emma original mattress and I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Try a sleep supplement
If you have trouble falling asleep or want to create a new sleep schedule, consider taking a sleep supplement. I recommend trying Performance Lab® Sleep to set you up for more restful and rejuvenating sleep and peak next-day performance.
Develop a sleep routine and stick with it
For the best results day over day, you need to establish solid sleep habits and stick with them. Everyone’s work-exercise-sleep routine is different and depends on your working hours, practice times, commute, and personal preferences. Once you find a sustainable routine that allows you enough time to exercise and sleep consistently, stick with it. This will also help to align your circadian rhythm back to its natural state.
Avoid irregular napping
I get it, sometimes you need the midday power nap to make it through an afternoon of meetings. If you opt-in for a siesta, keep it short and sweet to no more than 30 minutes. Otherwise, this could further confuse your inner clock and leave you feeling even more sluggish than you did before your nap.
Make your room a sanctuary for sleep
Sleep disruptions will stop you from getting into the sacred restorative REM sleep we all desperately need! For better sleep, invest in an adjustable thermostat, eye mask, gentle alarm clock, new mattress, or pillow.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Don’t shoot the messenger! When consumed too late in the day, caffeine can prevent you from falling asleep. Although alcohol is a depressant that may help you to fall asleep, it prevents you from entering deep REM sleep. Both late afternoon caffeine and alcohol should be avoided, especially the night before a big event or long stressful day.
