We all know the difference a good night’s sleep can make to our mood and overall functioning. But, do you know exactly how important a good night’s sleep is to optimise your athletic performance?

Here’s what we know…

• Sleep deprived adolescents are more likely to get injured compared to their restful counterparts who sleep 8-9 hours per night. This is because sleep deprivation leads to a lower mood, cognitive and motor function.

• Those who were sleep deprived were unable to exert as much force compared to when they were rested. Their ability to gain muscle was limited (yes, those hours training at the gym may be unnecessary).

• In terms of endurance, individuals who had disrupted sleep patterns reached the point of exhaustion much quicker. Therefore, their ability to exercise to much more limited.

References 

Fullagar, H. H., Skorski, S., Duffield, R., Hammes, D., Coutts, A. J., & Meyer, T. (2015). Sleep and athletic performance: the effects of sleep loss on exercise performance, and physiological and cognitive responses to exercise. Sports medicine, 45(2), 161-186.

Knowles, O. E., Drinkwater, E. J., Urwin, C. S., Lamon, S., & Aisbett, B. (2018). Inadequate sleep and muscle strength: Implications for resistance training. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 21(9), 959-968.

Milewski, M. D., Skaggs, D. L., Bishop, G. A., Pace, J. L., Ibrahim, D. A., Wren, T. A., & Barzdukas, A. (2014). Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, 34(2), 129-133.

By: Tessa Martin