Get Greater Athletic Performance With A Better Night's Sleep

Sleep and rest is a vital component of any athlete's training program

. A performance athlete who wants to be able to work harder and excel to set new records needs to pay attention to their sleeping habits - extra hours of sleep overnight translates to better performance in training sessions and in competition.

It's a balancing act between getting enough sleep each night between training sessions so they're recovered enough to have a quality workout. But balance is the secret of successful training especially if you're a young athlete. In my experience, far too few student athletes make the time for adequate sleep.

Professional trainers and coaches know studies have confirmed athletes perform at higher levels when they get extra sleep. Generally, competitive athletes who get an extra two hours of quality sleep a night consistently, instead of the usual eight hours, are better prepared both physically and mentally for peak performance.

Olympic level athletes often take ten or more hours of sleep a night during training since they know by their results the importance of being well-rested to improving their performance during competitions. The best athletes understand getting enough rest between their training sessions is just as important as getting a little extra sleep the night before a competitive event.

Getting extra sleep offers benefits in these areas:

1) Increased energy available to be able to "dig deep" when necessary. 2) Improved mood, including during competition and feeling of readiness. 3) Decreased fatigue after exertion and quicker recovery - important for events requiring short bursts such as football and soccer. 4) Increased mental acuity. 5) A lower risk of injuries due to fatigue

So now you know this, it's easy to change your athlete's sleeping regime to get more, right?

Well, I know it isn't. There are many competing demands on high school athlete's time these days. Student athletes are already busy with school and practice and it can be tough to find the time for extra sleep. In many cases, only the advice of their personal trainer or coach will give a young athlete the motivation they need to make extra sleep a part of their training schedule.

While getting an extra two hours a night sleep isn't going to turn everybody into a Division I college athlete, but not getting enough can certainly ruin any chances of achieving the best you can be. Additionally, getting too little sleep can lead to all manner of medical and mental problems such as lack of confidence and motivation. So a lack of sleep has detrimental effects on physical, mental and emotional health. Adequate sleep allows athletes to be rested and energetic for workouts while reducing the risk of injuries.

An athlete who fails to get the sleep they need finds their performance beginning to slip - by contrast, none of the studies which have been conducted on the effects of extra sleep on athletic performance have indicated any negative effects.

Appropriate preparation is the key to success for any sport and one of these preparations is being well-rested before training sessions and not just for competition. Extra sleep is a serious matter for young and student athletes and is one more thing they can do to reach their peak performance.

by: Liane Blyn

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