High-quality sleep is vital to athletic success. Research shows that the duration and quality of sleep can affect everything from performance and recovery, to learning and memory. Despite the importance of high-quality sleep, studies show that many athletes get insufficient sleep or experience frequent sleep disruptions. According to The Journal of Research in Sports, “it is important for athletes to understand how sleep affects performance and recovery, know which factors could affect sleep quality and be able to develop optimal sleeping habits.”9
This guide is designed to educate players, parents and coaches on the importance of sleep and optimal sleeping habits. All of the information presented in this guide is based on high-quality, peer-reviewed research articles. A complete list of references can be found below.
The Importance of Sleep
The effects of sleep on physical health, mental health, and emotional wellbeing have been well documented. Inadequate sleep has been shown to lead to a general decrease in health, wellbeing, performance, and recovery.
Sleep is vital for optimal growth, development and recovery. 95% of growth and maturation-related hormones are released during sleep.9 Studies showed that athletes who reported getting adequate sleep recovered from increased training loads faster, and felt less fatigued than those who reported inadequate sleep.
Learning and memory has been shown to occur during sleep. Research shows that the brain uses sleep as an opportunity to consolidate and internalize ideas and skills taught during the day. “Although correctly repeating a new task will result in learning benefits, it has been shown that the human brain continues to learn in the absence of further practice, and this delayed improvement develops during sleep.”9
Research shows that inadequate sleep impairs cognitive performance. “Sleep helps consolidate memory, improve judgment, promote learning and concentration, speed of reaction time and sharpen problem solving and accuracy… sport performance often incorporates decision-making, and errors as a result of low sleep quality will be reflected in performance outcomes.”9, 2
Inadequate sleep can impair immune system function. “Chronic low-quality sleep, or successive nights of disrupted or shortened sleep increases vulnerability to infections, emphasizing the negative effects of sleep loss on neuroendocrine and immune functioning.”9
Finally, inadequate sleep can negatively affect emotional and mental well-being. Studies show that athletes who reported getting inadequate sleep felt more stress, confusion, depression, and tension, and experienced a decreased mood during the day. Furthermore, athletes who reported inadequate sleep also reported decreased levels of optimism and sociability during the day.9, 10
Sleep Requirements
Every athlete has unique sleep requirements. Research indicates that, in general, adolescents and adults require eight hours of quality sleep each night for optimal daytime performance. “Sleep research has consistently shown that most adults actually do need the proverbial eight hours of sleep a night in order to perform at their best and avoid general tiredness, daytime drowsiness, and even fatigue-related illnesses.”9
Research indicates that most people are not consistently getting adequate sleep. Studies have found that the average sleep time among both adolescents and adults has decreased significantly from the 1950’s. A recent report from the CDC found that between 25% and 50% of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep per night.1
Research shows that athletes, specifically, are getting less sleep and lower-quality sleep than the average person. “Although many regard sleep as the most significant aspect of recovery…athletes often neglect this fact. Research findings indicate that athletes generally sleep less than non-athletes and often have difficulty sleeping.”9 One study found that 75% of athletes reported consistently sleeping for less than 7 hours per night.8
Better Sleep
High-quality sleep is vital to athletic performance, recovery, and wellbeing. Despite this, most athletes are not getting the sleep they need. Research has identified several factors that can influence the quality of sleep.
One of the most important factors that affect quality of sleep is consistency. Studies show that going to bed and waking up at the same time each day promotes optimal sleep. “It is recommended that the athlete should identify the amount of sleep that is needed and keep a regular sleep schedule. Inconsistent sleep patterns disrupt the internal biological clock and tend to increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.”9. It is also recommended that athletes wake up at the same time each morning to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even if they did not get quality sleep during the previous night.
Increased cognitive arousal can also impact sleep. ”Athletes should be encouraged to follow a bedtime ritual and develop a ‘winding-down routine’ that serves as a cue to the mind and body to get ready for sleep.”9 Studies show that taking between 10 and 30 minutes before bed to relax can significantly increase our ability to fall asleep.4
Psychological stressors can make it more difficult to relax and fall asleep. Studies show that writing down troubling feelings and emotions can help the brain process them better, leading to increased relaxation and, thus, better sleep. 9, 4
Artificial light can also make it difficult to fall asleep. Excessive light, specifically blue light, can increase alertness and suppress the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. Electronics such as smart phones and computers all give off blue light, and should be avoided when preparing for bed.3
Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can all have negative effects on sleep. Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants, and should be avoided. While alcohol may help people to feel more relaxed, studies show that alcohol consumption leads to lower-quality sleep. One study found that “students who drank between two and four alcoholic drinks daily, or between two and four cups of coffee, or who daily smoked between 20 and 30 cigarettes, had poor sleep quality, greater sleep latency, a greater number of sleep disturbances and greater daytime dysfunction.”9
Napping
Busy schedules often make it difficult to obtain the required eight hours of sleep. Studies show that napping is useful for increasing performance after a night of poor sleep.
Studies show that naps can greatly improve both cognitive and physical processes following a night of low-quality sleep. “A relative short daytime nap can be beneficial to the learning of visual and motor skills, alertness, as well as improved performance levels, self-confidence and daytime vigilance levels… A post-lunch nap positively affected mental and physical performance in partially sleep-deprived individuals.”9, 4
If napping is implemented to augment poor sleep, naps should be limited to about 20 minutes. Furthermore, naps should be taken in the early afternoon. Napping after 3 pm can negatively affect the ability to fall asleep at night, and should be avoided.4
Conclusion
High-quality sleep is vital to optimal performance and recovery in athletes. Studies show that, in general, athletes need about eight hours of sleep each night. Despite this fact, a majority of athletes are not meeting this criteria. There are several strategies that athletes can implement to improve sleep. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, as well as practicing a wind-down routine before bed can increase quality and duration of sleep. Blue light, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can all negatively impact sleep quality, and should be avoided. Following a night of low-quality sleep, napping can be used to reduce the negative effects poor sleep can have on performance.
While this guide is based on the latest scientific research, it is important to understand that the sleep requirements of each athlete are unique and should be treated as such. Consult a trained medical professional for specific, personal recommendations or for any sleep-related medical issues.
References
- CDC Short Sleep Duration Among US Adults.pdf. (n.d.).
- Halson, S. L. (2014). Sleep in Elite Athletes and Nutritional Interventions to Enhance Sleep. Sports Medicine, 44(S1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0147-0
- How Blue Light Affects Sleep.pdf. (n.d.).
- Matthew Walker copy.pdf. (n.d.).
- Sawczuk, T., Jones, B., Scantlebury, S., & Till, K. (2018a). Relationships Between Training Load, Sleep Duration, and Daily Well-Being and Recovery Measures in Youth Athletes. Pediatric Exercise Science, 30(3), 345–352. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2017-0190
- Sawczuk, T., Jones, B., Scantlebury, S., & Till, K. (2018b). The influence of training load, exposure to match play and sleep duration on daily wellbeing measures in youth athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(21), 2431–2437. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1461337
- Sawczuk, T., Jones, B., Scantlebury, S., & Till, K. (2021). Influence of Perceptions of Sleep on Well- Being in Youth Athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(4), 1066–1073. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002857
- Suppiah, H. T., Swinbourne, R., Wee, J., Tay, V., & Gastin, P. (2021). Sleep Characteristics of Elite Youth Athletes: A Clustering Approach to Optimize Sleep Support Strategies. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 16(9), 1225–1233. https://doi.org/10.1123 /ijspp.2020-0675
- Venter, R. E. (2012). ROLE OF SLEEP IN PERFORMANCE AND RECOVERY OF ATHLETES: A REVIEW ARTICLE. 19.
- Watson, A., & Brickson, S. (2018). Impaired Sleep Mediates the Negative Effects of Training Load on Subjective Well-Being in Female Youth Athletes. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 10(3), 244–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738118757422