Athlete Sleep Series: #2

Sleep education may sound like a bore, but optimizing sleep as an athlete is critical to maximizing training, recovery and performance. Educational sessions have been shown to be an effective way to increase sleep duration by an average of 20-90 minutes in athletes. This type of information needs to be repeated throughout the competition season and follow-ups with specific athletes need to be planned ahead of time. Creating and maintaining buy-in to these strategies must be reinforced with examples outlining performance and recovery enhancement.

Changing habits can be challenging (66 days on average from one source), especially if you’re working with young adults. Picking one or two areas to change on an individualized level may create the best opportunity for a change to stick. Regular follow ups to keep them accountable will help. No4 in the series will help you narrow down which behaviour should be modified to create the most value for an individual athlete.

A general overview of sleep education topics are outlined below:

1. Night-time sleep quantity

   • 7-9 hours for adults and 8-10 hours for teenagers, however MORE may be needed based on physical and psychological demands of your particular sport.

2. Naps

   • A must for those unable to get an adequate amount of night-time sleep due to scheduling…unless your problem is falling asleep at night, then naps may not be the solution.

   • Also recommended for those with good night time sleep habits that are looking for a quick boost in mood, alertness, and cognitive performance.

   • ‘Coffee naps’ are a quick way to get a few extra minutes of sleep while waking up refreshed and ready to continue with your day. Consider ~150-200mg of caffeine (a cup of coffee has ~100mg) just prior to taking a 15-30min nap. Aim for a nap between 1-4pm as this is usually a dip in natural alertness. Set your alarm for 10min longer than your planned nap to give yourself time to fall asleep. Wake yourself back up with bright light and a quick face wash. This will coincide with the caffeine taking effect.

3. Sleep Hygiene

   • Consistency is key!

     • similar sleep and wake times unless you’re banking sleep for an upcoming event.

     • limiting afternoon or late night stimulants (coffee, energy drinks), alcohol, high carb or large meals before bed time

     • early morning exposure to natural light

     • not lying awake in bed for extended periods of time

     • period of relaxation before bed (walk, read, meditate)

     • limit screen time before bed

     • an environment conducive to sleep (dark, cool and quiet).

4. Sleep and train in-line with your sleep chronotype

   • If you have more energy in the morning (e.g., “early bird” ), then trying to train in this window will allow for a better opportunity for sleep at night and vice versa for you “night owls”.

   • Keep in mind that total hours of sleep are also important, so waking up extra-early to train, if you don’t have to, will be detrimental to your sleep quantity and overall recovery.

5. Bank Sleep

   • If you have a competition coming up, banking sleep leading up to it (as little as 1 week) has shown some promise in improving performance by decreasing the negative effect of a poor-sleep the night before.

6. Sleep monitors (Looking at you smart watches)

   • Lots of data is great and feedback on strategies you’re trying to implement is helpful. However, be aware if you are easily stressed and prone to becoming fixated on a particular topic. Anxiety around sleep should not be increased when trying to improve sleep.

Stay tuned for No3 which will look at screening your athletes for sleep insufficiencies.

Thanks for taking the time to read!