Sleep is something that many of us take for granted. We think it can be put off or sacrificed when we have other things to do, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Sleep significantly affects our mood and mental clarity, affecting how well we perform at work and with exercise, and help with workout recovery. In these two areas alone, sleep can make all the difference in whether you feel motivated enough to get your workout done or not. Sleep also helps to repair and rebuild muscle tissue after intense workouts, so a lack of sleep will hurt your ability to recover faster from your activities as well. Instaskincare will share with you how exactly sleep can help recover!
Construction and Restoration
Sleep time is the most favorable period for the body, when tissues damaged during training are restored, as well as new bone and muscle tissue is "built." All of this is necessary to help the athlete cope with the daily training load.
Many studies have shown that minimizing sleep debt by observing sleep patterns and duration has a positive effect on the performance of athletes of different fitness levels. As scientists note, sleep should be one of an athlete's most important (if not the most important) priorities. In addition to tissue repair, sleep helps the brain successfully collect and store information received during the day, strengthening memory and maintaining concentration when needed.
Effect on Growth Hormone
During high-quality and deep sleep, a person produces growth hormones. Released into the blood, it repairs damaged tissues, including muscle tissue, promotes fat consumption (and therefore makes us slimmer), and maintains bone strength.
However, with a regular lack of sleep, the opposite effect occurs - insufficient growth hormone production impairs the recovery process and increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Increased blood cortisol also slows down recovery and breaks down muscle tissue.
By prioritizing quality sleep, an athlete can effectively deal with stress and improve recovery. It is essential during the most intense training, competition, or simply during active household or training loads.
Weight
A good-quality sleep can help you lose weight. The opposite is also true - with its lack, the production of appetite hormones - ghrelin and leptin - is disrupted. Ghrelin is a "hunger hormone," and leptin tells the body about satiety. As a result, insufficient sleep leads to inevitable gluttony and constant hunger. Is there a recipe for overeating? Undoubtedly! Good quality sleep of sufficient duration normalizes the production of these hormones, allowing you to effectively manage appetite and body weight, which further enhances the effectiveness of regular exercise. For example, for runners in the final preparation for a competition, getting enough sleep is often more important than mileage. It helps to efficiently assimilate carbohydrates, replenishing the glycogen depot in the muscles and liver. Lack of sleep leads to a decrease in the efficiency of carbohydrate loading and a reduction in running performance during a marathon, especially in a situation when the body's glycogen stores are empty.
Concentration and Mindfulness
The athlete must constantly analyze his level of readiness, the quality of training, assess the situation at the competition to correctly calculate his strength, and not finish the match ahead of time. And here, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of regular and quality sleep, its positive effect on concentration both in everyday life and during training or competition.
What happens if you don't get enough sleep? I hasten to congratulate you - regular lack of sleep leads to a weakening or complete loss of concentration, as well as difficulties in making critical strategic decisions.
How Much to Sleep and How to Improve Sleep Quality?
- It must be remembered that according to numerous recommendations, an adult, even not involved in sports, needs 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep;
- It is unnecessary to strive for less than 7 hours of sleep, but sleeping more than 8 hours is also not helpful - in several studies, sleeping too long has been the cause of cardiovascular diseases;
- You need to go to bed and get up at the same time. In other words, you need to accustom your body to a regular schedule;
- It is important to remember that you need to stop using electronic gadgets about 1-2 hours before bedtime;
- Ventilate the area in which you sleep. The ideal temperature for sleeping should be + 15-19 C;
- Avoid consuming caffeine or caffeinated foods about 2 hours before bed;
- Try to avoid unnecessary stress just before bed. You probably shouldn't be answering work emails or watching some dramatic, stressful movie. Instead, spend time with your family or read an exciting book;
- The ideal bedroom should be dark, calm, and quiet;
- If possible, it is worth practicing short naps, but no more than 20-30 minutes. It has been shown in several studies to help your body "reboot” workout recovery;
- Sleep trackers are now available built into your sports watch to help you understand if you're getting enough sleep and take a closer look at this critical aspect of your workout routine.
Wrap Up
Sleep is vital for the body to recover from working out and can help with overall well-being. According to sleep scientist Dr. David Dinges, "sleep deprivation results in a loss of physical fitness as it reduces the ability to exercise." The National Sleep Foundation suggests that adults need seven hours of quality sleep each night to function at their best during both work and leisure time. Improving your sleeping habits will have positive benefits on your workouts and other aspects of life, such as relationships or general health and workout recovery.