Sleep Strategy
Sleep and Performance
- Sleep has various physiological and cognitive benefits.
- Quality ‘deep’ sleep can aid restoration of energy levels and repair of exercise-induced damage.
- Sleep quality can be helped by quality protein intake, adequate hydration and sleep-promoting foods.
- Sleep deprivation may have potential effects on strength, power, endurance, reaction times and cognitive function.
- Similarly, poor sleep can lead to immunosuppression, lack of energy, growth and repair (needed for adaptation). As a result, there is greater susceptibility to infection.
Sleep Aids
- High-carbohydrate meals and milk-based drinks can optimize recovery and sleep quality.
- Ensure a comfortable sleep environment (pillows, mattress, sheets, eye mask, black-out curtains).
- Dehydration is especially enhanced during air travel. Drinking extra 200-500ml can help offset this.
- Napping and sleep extension has been shown to improve mood, alertness, reaction times and other physical performance markers.
- Timing of light exposure is critical to sleep onset. Exposure to darkness helps increase melatonin levels to induce sleep onset.
- One nap per 24 hours, for approximately 20 minutes, in youth athletes has been suggested to be most beneficial. Napping can repay debt from sleep deprivation.
- Warm bath/showers can help increase sleepiness and time-to-sleep.
- Time zone changes are common, domestically and abroad. Set watch to local time in day(s) before. Practice meal and sleep times more closely to travel destination to aid body clock adjustment.
Sleep Hygiene Recommendations
Impacting Factors
• Alcohol and caffeine can impair time-to-sleep and sleep quality.
• Night games reported to affect soccer players duration/quality of sleep and perceived recovery.
• Congested training and game schedules can compound reductions in sleep quality and recovery.
• Preferred sleep and wake times will differ between individuals, therefore their functional capacity too (morning larks vs. night owls).
• Whether travelling east or west, the body clock will need to be advanced or delayed to cope with time changes and maintain performance.
References
Fowler, P.M. et al. (2017). Greater effect of east vs. west travel on jet-lag, sleep and team-sport performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 49, (12), 2548-2561.
Fullagar, H.K. et al. (2015). Sleep and recovery in team sport: Current sleep-related issues facing professional team-sport athletes. Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 10, 950-957.
Fullagar, H.K. et al. (2016). Impaired sleep and recovery after night matches in elite football players. Journal of Sports Science, 34, (14), 1333-1339.
Halson, S.L. (2008). Nutrition, sleep and recovery. European Journal of Sport Science, 8, (2), 119-126.
Ohayon, M. et al. (2017). National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: first report. Sleep Health, 3, 6-19.
Reilly, T. (2009). How can travelling athletes deal with jet lag. Kinesiology, 2, 128-135.