Many athletes find it difficult to maintain the life/work/training balance. Therefore, they try to use a training plan or log book, especially if working towards an increased distance or specific “A” race. Of all the training plans that I have seen, or have discussed with clients, none of them include sleep!
Sleep is your main source of recovery. It is the time when the body heals from your training and gets stronger so you can train again. Neglecting your sleep leaves you open to poor performance and injury. Prioritising it and making it part of your training plan can have huge benefits.
In recent years there has been an increase in research surrounding the correlation between sleep and athletic performance. Many of these studies have shown that sleeping for less time than your body needs, increases your risk of illness and injury. How many hours you need will depend upon your age, training intensity and natural sleep habits.
How to plan your sleep:
When writing a training plan, sleep should be prioritised as much as the activities. You will need more sleep after a hard or long training session and relatively less as the intensity or distance decreases. Be realistic about what your body needs and use your own experience or advice from a trusted source (coach, partner, parent) to “pencil in” your sleep time before committing yourself to the other activities in your life. Something may have to give and this is when you need to decide how much you want to achieve in your sport and what you are prepared to sacrifice. If you need help in drawing up a training plan, talk to your coach or others in your club for advice. If you train alone, there are plenty of plans on-line which you can tailor to suit your individual starting point and aims.
How much sleep do you need:
Sleep needs are individual. We are usually told the 8 hours a night is right, but some people need more and some less.
Children and teenagers generally need more sleep than adults because growing takes a lot of energy.
Older people don’t necessarily need less sleep, it all depends on what they are doing during the day.
If you have a manual job, you may need more sleep than someone who works in an office.
Mental load can be just as tiring as a physical one.
If you are frequently ill, have recurrent injuries or are increasing your training load, try increasing your sleep each night until you feel that you are recovering well. You can then flex the amount of time spent asleep depending on your training and race plans.
How to sleep well:
Many people struggle to get to sleep, sleep well or for a long enough time. Our busy lifestyle, 24 – hour shift working and screen use are often blamed. However, a few simple tips can help most people:
Try to maintain a regular bedtime and waking time. Even at weekends or on holiday.
Aim for a dark, cool and quiet bedroom.
If you want to sleep more, go to bed earlier.
Reduce or eliminate caffeine, alcohol and other stimulants for a few hours before bedtime.
No screens within 1 hour of bedtime. Try reading or relaxation techniques before settling down.
Avoid eating a heavy meal before bed.
Nap during the day, if necessary, especially if you do your training in the early morning and struggle to get enough hours in during the night.
If you work shifts and need to sleep during the daytime, black out curtains or an eye mask and ear plugs may help.
Anyone who struggles to fall asleep or remain sleeping during the night should discuss possible causes with their G.P. who should be able to help with short term medication, relaxation techniques or therapies to help you to de-stress and nod off.
Sleeping whilst injured or ill:
When we are out of our established routine due to injury or illness, sleep is often neglected. If we can’t train or race, we might stay up late and pursue other social activities. However, during these times, sleep is vitally important. Your body is trying to recover and needs rest along with a healthy diet in order to fight infection and/or repair. Your sleep is the most controllable part of your rehabilitation and should be prioritised in order to speed up your recovery and help you to return to full fitness.
Sleep during “off season” or after the race:
The amount of sleep that you get needs to be tailored to the amount of exercise you are doing. You will have a base level that you need for normal life and an increased level during periods of training. The same applies when you are reducing your physical load. As your need for recovery time reduces, you can sleep a little less. You will need to do this gradually and still maintain the base level that you need to function well. However, during this time, you can stay up a little later, if you want to, and reflect upon how your season or race turned out.
As with all elements of your training plan, sleep and recovery time needs to be assessed and evaluated before you decide what has worked well and what needs to be re-visited. This process will lead to a more individual training plan for the next season or race.
Please get in touch if you would like to find out how regular Soft Tissue Therapy can become a valuable part of your training routine.