What Does That Mean? “get more sleep”

1.            Night- time sleep quantity—a range of 7–8 hours is appropriate for healthy adults and 7–10 hours for teenagers; however, experts speculate that athletes need more to recover from the physical and psychological demands of the sport. The amount of sleep athletes get may need to increase depending on the training load of the sport and the age of the athlete.

2.            Daytime sleep quantity (naps)—when schedule changes are not possible, napping can supplement insufficient night- time sleep. But a nap can also be beneficial for those just wanting a boost in alertness.

[Encourage naps—with late or early training times, travel and balancing life outside of sport, athletes may not have enough sleep opportunity at night so supplementing with a nap is key. Even short naps of <30 min can enhance mood, alertness and cognitive performance in those who get sufficient night- time sleep. Time naps from 1:00pm to 4:00pm when there is a dip in alertness (the ‘post lunch dip’]

3.            Bank sleep—Sleep extension has potential to improve athlete performance and mood and reduce stress levels. This tool may be a good way to ease anxiety leading into an important competition. By getting more sleep prior to an important competition, athletes can have confidence knowing that a poor night’s sleep the night before competition should not affect their performance. The period of banking sleep does not have to be months, even just 1 week has been shown to improve performance.

4.            Good sleep hygiene—this is where the athlete makes lifestyle habits. Sleep hygiene includes the habits necessary to have good sleep quality and daytime alertness. Research has shown that a commitment to good sleep hygiene can improve sleep quality.

Common sleep hygiene habits include:

• Avoiding stimulants (e.g., caffeine), alcohol, and heavy meals too close to bedtime

• No caffeine after 12 noon and no food 3 hours before bedtime have proven to consistently assist quality restorative sleep time.

• Adequate exposure to natural light in the morning

• Not lying in bed awake for long periods of time

• Develop a relaxing bedtime routine

• Seek a sleep environment conducive to sleep which is cool, dark and quiet.

Reference:

Sleep and the athlete: narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations

Walsh NP, et al. Br J Sports Med 2020;0:1–13. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102025