Are You Prioritizing Sleep?
Do you ever find yourself wide awake long before the alarm goes off? Tossing and turning throughout the night? Lying in bed staring at the ceiling hoping that sleep will come? According to the National Sleep Foundation, it is recommended that healthy adults get an average of 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Babies, children, and teens require more sleep for growth development, and elite athletes may require increased sleep hours due to higher physical demands. Sleep deprivation or disturbed sleep is characterized by an average of less than 7 hours of sleep per night, not feeling well rested, not feeling refreshed, sleep dissatisfaction, sleepiness during the day, and fatigue during the day. It is estimated that 35.2% of U.S. adults sleep less than what is recommended, and few studies have estimated that 50% - 78% of elite athletes experience sleep disturbance while 22% - 26% deal with highly disturbed sleep. Okay, so a good amount of people, maybe including yourself, get less than the recommended amount of sleep. How does this actually affect us?
Sleep deprivation or disturbance has been associated with several negative health benefits, affecting the cardiovascular, neurocognitive, immunological, and metabolic systems; and these affects can be noticed with just 2-4 hours of less sleep per night. For the purpose of this blog, we will be focusing on the systems that directly affect recovery and the rehabilitative process. During sleep, our bodies have a chance to slow down metabolic and regulatory processes to recover and prepare for the next day’s demands. For high level individuals and athletes, sleep is when the body replenishes used energy sources and promotes lactate turnover and cerebral glycolosis. So when we lack sleep, our bodies are less efficient at using energy sources and have a lower lactate threshold, meaning early fatigue when training and decreased sports performance.
Decreased sleep can also increase pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the body, which in turn decreases immune system function, decreases muscle recovery, decreases tissue repair from injury and damage, and alters our pain perception. Within our endocrine system, decreased growth hormone secretion leads to altered immune system signaling can occur, which limits the body’s ability to heal efficiently. Last but not least, sleep disturbance affects our mood, can lead to increased depression and anxiety, and increases stress levels. This all results in delayed and prolonged healing. So when we are recovering from and managing injury, rehabilitation is more than just physically putting in the work and performing the exercises your physical therapist (or other rehab professional) gives you. It means making sure you are providing the best conditions for your body to heal and recover properly, including adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and positive mental health.
If you are currently dealing with an injury or have noticed limited sports performance and feel that you are experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation, improving sleep hygiene can help. Sleep hygiene refers to a set of healthy sleep habits and optimal sleep environment, and has been shown to improve both sleep duration and sleep quality. The following lists 5 easy and simple ways you can improve sleep hygiene:
Set up a sleep schedule – Try to have set wake-up and sleep-times to get into a rhythm of consistent sleep.
Create a nightly routine, and stick with it – Following the same routine each night helps let your mind know it is time for bed.
Avoid electronics 1-2 hours before bed – laptops, tablets and smart phones cause mental stimulation and emit blue blight which decreases melatonin production, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep.
Avoid caffeine after lunch to reduce feeling wired when it is time for bed.
Avoid heavy meals late in the evening – It may be difficult to fall asleep when the body is busy digesting. Instead light and small snacks before bed are preferred.
The list is not all inclusive, and optimal sleep hygiene will differ from person to person and may require some trial and error before finding the right fit for you. The key is to make small, gradual changes to your routine and be consistent with them. There are many suggestions and tips online via the CDC, National Sleep Foundation, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine (links below). Here at The PATH we are committed to giving you all the tools you need to achieve physical excellence. If you are concerned about your current sleep habits, or would like to be referred to a sleep medicine professional, please contact us for information!
National Sleep Foundation: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/index.html
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: https://sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/
References:
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. (2017, May 2). CDC - Data and Statistics - Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html
Walsh NP, Halson SL, Sargent C, et al. Sleep and the athlete: narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations [published online ahead of print, 2020 Nov 3]. Br J Sports Med. 2020;bjsports-2020-102025. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102025
Vitale KC, Owens R, Hopkins SR, Malhotra A. Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations. Int J Sports Med. 2019;40(8):535-543. doi:10.1055/a-0905-3103
Chandrasekeran B, Fernandes S, Davis F. Science of Sleep and Sports Performance – A Scoping Review. Science & Sports. 2020; 35(1): 3-11. doi:10.1016/j.scispo.2019.03.006.
National Sleep Foundation. Sleep Hygiene. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene
Dr. Paulina Tselikis
Co-Owner
DPT, ATC
