Secrets To a Faster Recovery!
We all want to know the latest and greatest secrets to gaining an athletic advantage. Today, there’s a lot of talk about the speed of recovery and the tools that aid in a thorough recovery. As for me, I am a fan of things like cold tubs, recovery boots, manual therapy, stretching and even certain foods.
While all of these are great and should be used by athletes when appropriate, there is one recovery tool that tops them all…And it’s FREE!
Want to guess what it is?
Hint: You did this a lot as a baby.
Answer: Sleep!
Yes, countless studies show the benefits of deep sleep. Studies also show the results of not getting enough sleep.
Let's take a look at a few facts about the benefits of getting enough sleep and the downside of not getting enough sleep.
BENEFITS OF GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
Muscle Health & Musculoskeletal System
During intense exercise, your muscles and tissues go through a series of microtears. Don’t worry, this is normal and is not associated with an injury like a torn muscle or ligament. Deep sleep improves muscle recovery by allowing your cells and tissue to repair. Thus, further facilitating healthy joints, bones, muscles.
Heart Health
Sleep also allows your heart (which is a muscle) to rest as well. When you allow your heart to rest, you also create rest within your cardiovascular system which enables a healthy blood flow and a healthy blood pressure.
Cognitive Function & Mental Health
Sleep also helps us retain our memories. Everyday, especially as an athlete, you are constantly learning or practicing new skills. Sleep helps store new memories and the new memories result in improved performance, coordination and quick recall in the future. Without sleep, the pathways in the brain that allow you to learn and make memories can’t be formed or maintained.
Just as exercise can help improve or maintain mental health, sleep is important for maintaining an athlete's mental health as well. Quality sleep is associated with improving the overall mood. Healthy sleep prevents irritability and decreases developmental risks such as anxiety and depression. Feeling anxious or down in the dumps? Get some shuteye!
DOWNSIDE OF NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
Just as sleep helps us retain our memory, a lack of sleep can do the opposite.
Without sleep, our brain will have a difficult time maintaining the new memories that are created. Let’s talk about some downsides to not getting enough sleep.
Decreased Accuracy & Precision
A lack of sleep can lead an athlete to decreased accuracy and precision. For example, if you are involved in a sport that requires a high level of hand-eye coordination and accuracy (such as tennis or baseball), your hand-eye coordination and speed could decline if you’re not sleeping well.
Decreased Muscle Endurance
Lastly, studies have also shown that sleep deprivation can cause decreased muscle endurance and increase risk of injury in athletes such as runners.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
If you are having trouble sleeping, you should consult with a healthcare professional.
Many people suffer from sleep deprivation for a variety of reasons.
In the meantime, below are a few habits to incorporate into your daily routine to help you sleep better.
Avoid caffeine 6 hours from bedtime.
Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
Eliminate ‘screen time’ or use of electronics at least 1-2 hours before sleep.
Aim for the same bedtime each night.
Stretch or listen to some soft music to prepare for bedtime.
SUMMARY
Recovery does not have to be complicated. The goal is to give your muscles, tendons, and joints time to heal themselves. The best method to do that is to get some sleep.
To learn more about sleep, check out sleepfoundation.org
