Storyline: Research suggests that sleep deprivation is a common problem. Everybody should get 7-9 hours of sleep a night–10 hours for athletes. Written by Sukhin Chawla, Highlands, NC
Roger Federer and LeBron James have said they sleep an average of 12 hours a day, compared to less than 7 hours for the average Australian. Usain Bolt, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Steve Nash sleep up to 10 hours a day. Just as athletes need more calories than most people, they need more sleep, too. The greater the intensity and effort the greater the need for planned recovery.
Courtesy: lifehacker.com
Tracking Your Sleep
The use of sleep-tracking technologies is on the rise. Some sports scientists believe that wearable devices using sensors will be the biggest technological innovation that sports has ever seen. Sensors pick up data and provide feedback to athletes and coaches on everything from sleep quality to exertion levels.
In 2012 the U.S. sleep coach company, Zeo, won some fans amongst professional sportsmen with the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach. Ultimately the product proved too expensive for the mass market but, for Boston Bruins defenseman, Andrew Ference, it has proven its worth. “I always knew some days I’d feel great and some days I wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t really know why. This has really confirmed how I felt some days. Some days I’ll have great sleep scores and some days I won’t.”
Ference wears the Zeo Sleep Coach around his head every night and receives a grade each morning on the quality of his sleep session. He uses that and his daily routine to sleep better the next night. The Zeo works by reading signals from the brain.
Simpler (and cheaper) activity tracking devices include Fit Bit One, Sleep Cycle, and Sleepbot. Based on a recent online poll the most popular apps / gadgets were: Sleep Cycle, 39.11% (916 votes); Sleep As Android, 16.31% (382 votes); FitBit One, 15.97% (374 votes); and Jawbone Up, 10.76% (252 votes).
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
To be successful in your chosen sport you may need to set a sleep goal. Research suggests that sleep deprivation is a huge problem that most athletes – and people in general – underestimate. For the general public, experts generally recommend an average adult sleep of 7-9 hours a night. Falling asleep instantly and needing an alarm clock to wake up are red flags. If either applies to you then you may consider yourself as being sleep-deprived.
For athletes, research shows even mild sleep deprivation can have a drastic effect on athletic performance. Sleep- deprived athletes may fail to make effective team decisions, feel more fatigued, and be unable to perform well. So the recommended target for athletes is to sleep 10 hours per night.
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Athletic Performance
Extending sleep times can enhance athletic performance. Stanford University’s Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine is one of the leading research institutions investigating the sleep-sport performance connection. In recent years the Center has examined several groups of Stanford student athletes. These groups were asked to increase their sleep goal to 10 hours a night for between 6-8 weeks. (Note: Not all the athletes actually slept for 10 hours, but the act of attempting to sleep for 10 hours resulted in an increase in sleeping hours when compared to their normal routine.)
The results?
Swimming (men and women): Swimmers shaved an average of .51 seconds off a 15 meter sprint. They left the blocks .15 seconds faster, shaved .10 seconds off their average turn time, and added an average of 5 kicks on their stroke frequency.
Tennis (women): Sprint times dropped from an average of 19.12 to 17.56. Serve accuracy increased from 12.6 valid serves to 15.61.
Football: 40-yard dash times dropped from 4.99 seconds to 4.89.
Basketball (men and women): Free throw accuracy improved 9% and three-point shooting went up 9.2%.
Play It Safe with Sleeping Pills
Try non-medical therapies first before taking sleeping pills. Consult your doctor, too. Doctors are generally reluctant to prescribe sleeping tablets because they may result in side effects, such as drowsiness or addiction. If you find sleeping pills to be necessary, then limit usage to less than 2-4 weeks and refrain from taking pills daily.
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Recommendations for Improving Your Sleep
• Delayed or broken sleep is a common problem for many sportspersons.
• Before going to bed tell yourself that you will have a sound sleep and that you’re going to wake up just before the alarm clock feeling refreshed and alert.
• If you can’t get to sleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something until you feel sleepy.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals for 4 hours before turning in.
• Focus on relaxing your body by doing light muscle exercises.
• It’s normal to wake up once or twice at night. Don’t panic. Try to relax. Focus on breathing.
• Keep a pen and paper beside your bed. If something bothers you, write it down.
• If you suffer from the muscle pain, try a massage.
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Editor’s Note: Sukhin Chawla is a freelance writer with experience writing for magazines, journals, newspapers, and businesses.
