Sleep is a significant component of any athlete’s training program, but it is often the one aspect that doesn’t receive the proper attention it deserves. When thinking of areas to expand the hours in the day, many allow their sleep to be compromised to work longer, accomplish other tasks, or wake up for an early morning workout so that the rest of the day is not affected.
Our tendency to short-shrift sleep leads us to the important discussion of sleep hygiene. Many of you might think that this term is a little strange, but it is just as important as the time we dedicate to other aspects of hygiene in our lives.
Have you ever woken up after a “bad” night’s sleep where you felt groggy, agitated, and struggled with your focus? It is definitely not enjoyable, and will impact the rest of the day—and perhaps even the following day. If this occurs occasionally, we may be able to recover and notice that it does not significantly impact our performance. What if this happens on a more consistent basis, where we struggle to get eight hours of sleep a night, struggle to sleep through the night, can’t fall asleep, and experience other sleep disruptions? These “bad” nights of sleep will add up and impact not only our personality but also our well-being and performance. For athletes, this could also mean being at a higher risk of injury and a lack of ability to execute skills and movement.
Sleep is essential for your well-being as an athlete. It allows your body to get the proper time to rest and recover before engaging in another bout of energy expenditure. The physiological responses are connected to your heart, providing the opportunity to rebuild and repair tissues, helping your cardiovascular system become stronger. Sleep also helps strengthen your immune system, helping you prevent or recover from illness. On the mental side, sleep helps with keeping you cognitively sharp, enhances concentration levels, allows you to feel present and focused, and gives you more energy throughout the day.
So, how can you start to work on your sleep patterns and work towards getting those recommended 8 hours a night? Develop a sleep hygiene program!!
5 Strategies to enhance your sleep hygiene:
1. Develop a nighttime routine.
Yes, just like when you were little, and you had a routine before you went to bed. You should do the same thing for yourself as an athlete! This might include taking a bath or shower, putting on your pajamas, brushing your teeth, etc. The routine creates a habit, and assists your mind in recognizing it is time to start preparing for quiet time.
2. Use the hour before your scheduled bedtime as the time to wind down.
Decide on a time of night when you know you should get to sleep to achieve the recommended 8 hours of sleep or more a night. (On big training days, it is very likely you will need more sleep than usual.) Once you identify that time, use the hour prior as a time for self-care. This is when your routine can begin, and you implement practices to help you relax, such as journaling, reading, meditating, listening to relaxing music, etc.
3. Remove the use of technology.
As challenging as it can be to part with your cellphone and laptop, there does come a time when it is necessary to put them away. Scrolling through social media, reading work emails, shopping, etc., keeps your mind revved and could negatively affect your mental well-being.
Also, the lights on the screens can impact your ability to get into a deep sleep. Consider setting a screen time limit on your devices or silencing them before bed.
4. Implement mental skills.
If you struggle with falling asleep or quieting your mind, try some mental performance skills to help! Progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing are two exercises that can be highly effective in calming your mind and easing your body into a relaxed sleep state.
You may also consider meditation as a way to relax the body and calm the mind. Using an app such as Headspace or Medito can help guide your meditation if you are new to the process.
5. Self-Reflect.
When you wake, set up some time in the morning for self-reflection. Reflect on your mental outlook for the day, your sleep quality, how you’re feeling physically, your goals and action steps for the day, and what you might change regarding your sleep hygiene program. You may even consider logging your sleep as a way to mark your progress. Some watches may track sleep to help you with this. But if you find sleeping with a watch on impacts the quality of your sleep, then ditch the tracker.
While it may be easy to cut our sleep to make time for other life activities, it is not easy to combat the effects of a sleep deficit. Prioritize your sleep as the key training tool that it is.
Recovery is a key training tool. If you’re struggling with sleep or fatigue, connect with your coach to create a recovery plan that works.
For more insights on the mental side of endurance performance, learn more about Dr. JoAnne Bullard and her approach to sport and performance psychology.