The Power of Sleep for Athletes

As the anticipation for the upcoming Olympic Games mounts, athletes around the world are diligently fine-tuning their skills, pushing their bodies to the limits, and striving for peak performance. Amidst the intense training regimens and rigorous competition schedules, there's one crucial factor that many athletes will not compromise on and that’s sleep.

Roger Federer has been quoted as saying “If I don’t sleep 11-12h per day, it’s just not right”. It is also no coincidence that many high-profile sports teams are implementing sleep coaching strategies for their athletes. In case you are wondering why sleep is so crucial for recovery, here’s a brief answer: if all is well with our sleep, we should spend about 1/5 (one fifth) to 1/4 (one quarter) of our night in deep sleep (also called slow wave sleep). 

From what we know so far about sleep, we think that this is when the body goes into repair and regeneration mode – fixing or replacing damaged and mutated cells, building the proteins you need for your muscles to grow, tweaking your metabolism to adapt to your training demands, replenishing fuel supplies, and laying down the connections in your brain that allow you to successfully perform complex movement tasks.

Forming these neural connections is one of the most critical processes that occurs during sleep because this allows for the consolidation of motor memory, which is essential for refining technique and mastering complex movements. Whether it's perfecting a tennis serve, executing a flawless dive, or nailing a gymnastics routine, these skills heavily rely on well-rested muscles and a sharp mind, both of which are nurtured during sleep. 

Sleep also plays a pivotal role in cognitive function, including attention, decision-making, and reaction time – all of which are indispensable in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of competitive sports. Studies have shown that even a single night of poor sleep can significantly impair these cognitive functions, potentially jeopardizing an athlete's performance on the field, track, or court.

You’ve maybe heard this a thousand times before, but we are all unique – even in our sleep needs. The latest guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation recommend that adults between the ages of 18-64y obtain 7-9h of sleep each night. The key is to find your sweet spot in terms of sleep needs. For some people 6h may suffice and 5h would leave them sleep-deprived. For others as much as 10h is needed, and 9h or less leaves them racking up sleep debt.

Bear in mind that once you add training to the mix, your sleep need increases. Each training session imposes a stress on your body from which you need to recover, allowing adaptation and hopefully improved performance.

So as the world watches in awe during the Olympics, we will not forget the silent champion behind the scenes – the restorative power of a good night's sleep.