Getting Enough Sleep
By Lisa Guarneri
High school and college athletes are among some of the most sleep-deprived people in America. High school students on the average get about 7.5 hours of sleep on the weekdays with college students faring even worse. Studies have shown that athletes sleep less than non-athletes and have even more problems sleeping prior to competition. There are various strategies for athletes to improve their physical recovery such as relaxation strategies, massage, active rest, etc. but probably the best recovery method, sleep, is often neglected. The purpose of this article is to help coaches and parents to better help their athletes and give them three suggestions for helping their athletes improve their sleep quality.
The first guideline for optimal sleep is to identify and obtain the amount of sleep your athlete needs. Many times it is quoted and recommended that “you need to sleep at least 8 hours per night.” This is incorrect because the amount of sleep an individual needs is based more on genetics and varies from person to person. The first step is to set up an experiment in which you stabilize the athlete’s sleep for the first week and then observe for the second. For the week of stabilization, the child sets a regular bedtime and recovers from any sleep deprivation. This usually takes 4-5 days to adjust to a specific bedtime. During the second week, the athlete continues to go to bed at the particular bedtime and rises when he or she naturally wakes up. The average sleep each night is recorded is a good indicator of one’s genetic sleep need. Now the athlete should stay within a +/- 30 minute range of their average sleep time so their adaptation occurs.
Secondly, the athlete should keep a regular sleep schedule. Researchers say that changing one’s schedule for any more than two days or sleeping more than one hour longer on weekends disrupts one’s biological clock. Inconsistent sleep patterns change one’s internal biological clock and increases the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Over 50% of athletes report difficulty sleeping nights prior to competition. If athletes condition their bodies to a regular bed time, they will have less problems falling asleep.
Finally, it is optimal for an athlete to create a sleeping environment. The four factors that create a maximum-quality sleeping environment are quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable. It is suggested that the kids take clocks, radios, stereos, and even TVs away from the bed to eliminate noise and keep his or her surroundings quiet. To keep the room dark, he or she should install opaque window shades, stuff towels in the door jams, and use eyeshades. Researchers say that the room temperature should be around 65 degrees F although this varies from person to person. Also, having a bigger bed, because most athletes are bigger than the average person, will keep the athlete more comfortable at night.
______________________________________________________________________________
| Title |
Getting Enough Sleep |
| Source |
Coaching Youth Sports |
| Publisher |
Richard K. Stratton |
| Date |
Jan/Feb 2003 |
| SIRC ID# |
S-884582 |
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