When we expect of elite athletes, we often consider those that are physically at the highest of their game.
We assume they do every thing higher than mere humans – but what about in relation to getting an excellent night's sleep?
Does being an excellent athlete make you an excellent sleeper?
Why is sleep vital?
Exercise has been around for a very long time Associated with better sleep And it seems reasonable to assume that almost all elite athletes are good sleepers—in any case, their job is to exercise and recuperate.
However, many athletes fail to clear the bar in relation to getting enough sleep.
In fact, in a 2021 sample of 175 elite Australian athletes from 12 sports, only 3% Get enough sleep frequently, while 71% decreased by an hour or more.
This research mirrors studies of able-bodied and para-athletes The United Statesfor , for , for , . Brazilfor , for , for , . Germanyfor , for , for , . Switzerland And China.
So why is sleep so difficult for the elite athlete?
Sleep disturbances
When it involves gold, a player's hardest opponent will likely be their very own Training and competition schedule.
For some players (like individual game players the swimmertriathletes and cyclists), with regular early morning training sessions combined with very long days off makes things difficult.
For others (think like a team sport athlete Rules Australian footballers And Netballer), it's a training and competition schedule that changes from week to week with travel in addition to sleep.
Anxiety before competitioncan even make it difficult for athletes to get enough sleep.
So why does it not matter? In short. , because sleep plays a task in athletic performance.
In a recent Consensussleep and sports scientists from all over the world recognize the importance of sleep for athletic performance. He also agreed that elite athletes are particularly liable to insufficient sleep.
Many top athletes—including an eight-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter US Bolta four-time National Basketball Association title winner LeBron Jamesand 20-time Grand Slam tennis champion Roger Federer – Consistent sleep is critical to success.
Sleep, illness and injury
Studies Recommend Elite athletes can still perform at their best after an evening of insufficient sleep.
But even in the event that they can perform day in and time out (resembling during an intensive training block) after several nights of insufficient sleep.
But let's not forget the 2 words that may stop any player of their tracks. Illness and injury.
People who get 5-6 hours of sleep per night are 4.5 times more prone to develop the common cold after exposure. Rhinovirus Compared to individuals who get seven hours of sleep each night.
If elite athletes don’t get enough sleep, they usually tend to to be sick.
The relationship between sleep and injury risk in elite sport is less clear.
But not enough sleep Slows down reaction timeaffects movement patterns and reduces sport-specific Skill implementation – All of those can result in injury.
But perhaps the largest problem for elite athletes in relation to insufficient sleep is the way it makes them feel.
After multiple night of insufficient sleep, athletes feel Excessive fatigue before trainingfor , for , for , . Feel the exercise hard And experience High mood disorders Compared to after they are well rested.
Ability to Endure high level training Important for players. Without enough sleep frequently, an athlete may struggle to recuperate from training and Poor recovery This can harm subsequent performance.
For this reason alone, many sleep and sports scientists consider that sleep is very important to performance since it is Basis of recovery.
Some suggestions for coaches and athletes
At the highest level, small improvements in performance may be the difference between ending on the rostrum or falling back into the pack.
A working example is the Tour de France – widely considered each physical and mental Demanding endurance racing in the world.
Recently, many teams have tried to enhance the sleeping conditions of their riders by utilizingRecovery buses” – he transports cyclists from one stage of the race to the subsequent – and prepares hotel rooms Personalized mattresses and pillows.
Despite the grueling demands, the common sleep duration of riders is surprisingly reasonable. 7.2 hours per night.
But not all athletes and teams have access to recovery buses and personalized hotel rooms.
What other strategies can athletes adopt to make sure good sleep?
Here are some suggestions (for players and coaches) to contemplate when excited about sleep:
- Make sure you're spending enough time in bed to get the sleep you would like – to get Recommended For eight hours of sleep per night, we want nine hours of “sleep opportunities” in bed
- Also avoid training quickly (before 6 a.m.) and/or minimizing the variety of early morning starts in a row
- Evening competition As a results of delayed sleep opportunities. Minimize the variety of Activities Immediately after the player competition. Get distracted later and, if possible, delay the beginning time of the subsequent day's recovery session
- use Strategic Daytime Naps To reduce the possibilities of falling asleep at night (limit naps to at least one hour, use alarms and targets within the morning or afternoon)
- for the aim Regular bed/wake times At nights when you’ll be able to control your likelihood of sleep.