Author: Rob Blinkhorn
Sleep is an important part of our daily routine and is vital for good health! Many know it is crucial for brain function, but it also plays a major role in affecting every tissue and system in the body. Quality sleep is defined as 7-8 hours of sleep each night and waking up feeling rested. Chronic lack of sleep can increase the risk of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, as well as significantly increasing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. It was found that getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night was associated with twice as much risk of injury than those who regularly get 8 hours of sleep.
Sleep deprivation can impact motor function, mood, and cognitive functions, all of which could affect a person’s athletic performance or increase their risk of injury.
What is Sleep?
Sleep is an active state of unconsciousness, where the brain is in a relative state of rest. It is characterised by low physical activity levels and reduced sensory awareness. Sleep is regulated by the circadian rhythm and our bodies' homeostatic mechanisms. These systems work together to create an equilibrium and balance between sleep and wakefulness; such as a need to sleep after a long day at work or waking up after a long period of sleep.
What is the Function of Sleep and its Effect on Injuries?
Sleep is very important for our cognitive and biological functions. It allows our body to repair our systems, all the way down to a cellular level, that have become depleted during the day. Some benefits include:
- Muscle repair
- Cell repair
- Tissue growth
- Protein synthesis
- Release of many important hormones for growth
So, how does this affect athletes and general well-being? Research has identified changes to athletic performance from a lack of sleep, these include:
- Decreased jump power or decreased jump height
- Reduced exercise capacity
- Reductions in the ability to adapt to training stimulus (ie. decreased ability to build muscle and cardiovascular fitness or develop skills)
- Reduced reaction time, decision making and memory
- Slower recovery from injury
- Reduced academic performance
Physiotherapy and Sleep
In all cases, when assessing whether poor sleep patterns are affecting athletic performance, causative factors need to be identified and addressed. These include:
- Environmental factors (e.g. Stress, poor sleep environment)
- Behavioural factors (e.g. Sleeping less than 7-8 hours each night, excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption)
- Lack of general exercise and movement
To address these issues, do these key things:
- Set regular sleep/wake times
- Sleep in a cool (<19deg), dark and quiet room
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake
- Exercise! This will help relieve stress and help reset your body.
Other strategies you should try to improve the quality of your sleep include:
- Avoid blue light (such as from your phone or laptop) prior to bedtime
- Avoid work/study/activity in the bedroom - it is for sleep
- Introduce 30mins “wind down time” before bed.
- Meditation
- Avoid sugar/coffee later in the day
- Avoid watching the clock
- If unable to sleep for 30mins get out of bed, go do something else, then return
Summary
In summary, it is important to remember:
- Quality sleep is defined as regularly sleeping 7-8 hours each night and waking up feeling rested
- Chronic lack of sleep increases your risk of injury and can decrease athletic performance
- Addressing common causes of poor sleeping patterns is the first step to improving your sleep and enhancing your well-being.
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References
Carskadon, M. A., & Dement, W. C. (2005). Normal human sleep: an overview. Principles and practice of sleep medicine, 4, 13-23.
Elfering, A., Kottwitz, M., Tamcan, Ö., Müller, U., & Mannion, A. (2018). Impaired sleep predicts onset of low back pain and burnout symptoms: evidence from a three-wave study. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 23(10), 1196-1210. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2018.1479038
Fullagar, H. H., Duffield, R., Skorski, S., Coutts, A. J., Julian, R., & Meyer, T. (2015). Sleep and Recovery in Team Sport: Current Sleep-Related Issues Facing Professional Team-Sport Athletes. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 10(8), 950–957. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2014-0565
Johnston, R., Cahalan, R., Bonnett, L., Maguire, M., Glasgow, P., & Madigan, S. et al. (2020). General health complaints and sleep associated with new injury within an endurance sporting population: A prospective study. Journal Of Science And Medicine In Sport, 23(3), 252-257. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.10.013
Mah, C. D., Mah, K. E., Kezirian, E. J., & Dement, W. C. (2011). The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players. Sleep, 34(7), 943–950. https://doi.org/10.5665/SLEEP.1132
Milewski, M., Skaggs, D., Bishop, G., Pace, J., Ibrahim, D., Wren, T., & Barzdukas, A. (2014). Chronic Lack of Sleep is Associated With Increased Sports Injuries in Adolescent Athletes. Journal Of Pediatric Orthopaedics, 34(2), 129-133. doi: 10.1097/bpo.0000000000000151