Importance of Sleep in Recovery and Athletics
- Kompftrainingsystems Richard Kompf
- May 31
- 3 min read
Importance of Sleep in Recovery and Athletics
By Colin Socker
Sleep is a vital component of an athlete's performance. Experts say sleep paired with proper nutrition and training can help maximize the performance of an athlete. Many times at Kompf Training Systems athletes ask me “Why do we track the hours of sleep on the front of our programs?” So I will explain why this is important.
The recommended hours of sleep for an athlete is between 8-10 hours for youth and college athletes. And 6-8 for adults who are in general fitness (8-10 for professional level athletes). Getting this level of optimal sleep is important for many reasons. If the optimal level is achieved the benefits are muscle repair, tissue growth, and hormonal balance in recovery for the athlete after training. It is especially crucial for youth athletes as hormonal balance is vital because the human growth hormone is released during sleep. While sleep has many benefits for athletic performance, the issue is athletes getting a lack of sleep and not understanding the negative effects.
Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation has an impact on recovery. If an athlete gets less than their recommended hours of sleep there can be many implications. Especially if this is done on a consistent basis. The negative effects of sleep deprivation are slower reaction time, reduced strength, lower endurance, and poor coordination. There can also be negative impacts on mental focus, motivation, and consistency. Furthermore, student athletes are especially at risk for the negative impacts of sleep deprivation due to busy schedules. As said before, experts say sleep is just as vital for athletics as training and nutrition. In order to stop the effects of sleep deprivation several strategies can be used to better sleep quality and achieve a better recovery.
There are many strategies that can be used to achieve better sleep. These include:
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule- this puts the body in a routine and allows for the body to know when to rest, making it easier to fall asleep
Limit caffeine intake 6 hours before bed- this allows the body’s natural process for sleep to work
Sleep in a cool, dark environment- allows for the body to achieve rest
Avoid naps during the day longer than 30 minutes- does not alter the body’s sleep process at the end of the day
Use your bed only for sleep- no tv or lounging- allows the body to only associate the bed with sleep
Manage stress- stress cannot allow the mind to be put at ease and can hinder the ability to fall asleep
If you try these strategies before going to sleep, it can in turn increase sleep quality. If sleep quality is increased and a consistent sleep schedule is achieved, a better recovery for athletics and benefits will be seen. Try some of these strategies if you are looking to achieve full athletic potential. If unsure, ask yourself, did you get better today?
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