The connection between sleep and performance in sports
Sleep is an important resource for mental and physical well-being. However, sleep research has only been a minor part of sports science so far. Yet it is enormously important in numerous areas. Sleep was described by Zulley (1981) as follows: "Bridging a period of time that is ineffective for interaction with the environment and at the same time providing the opportunity to activate functions that are incompatible with motor activity".
Positive effects of sleep on the performance
As a result of increased activity of growth hormones during sleep, processes such as muscle growth, fat metabolism and bone growth are more active. Furthermore, the immune system is more active and better identifies bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. For this reason, infections and other diseases can be prevented or reduced. In addition to the physical aspects, psychological effects such as personal well-being, creativity and problem-solving skills also improve. A further positive effect is the increased recovery. This is determined by the duration and especially the quality of sleep. The more deep sleep phases per night, the stronger becomes that effect.
Impact of sleep deprivation
Too little sleep has a number of negative consequences. Too little sleep is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, anxiety disorders and depression, among other things. Studies have found that it lowers attention, focus and productivity. However, the reverse conclusion, that sufficient sleep causes significant improvement in the factors listed above, is true. In this respect, factors in sport performance such as speed, strength and the risk of injury are also affected. Coordination and reaction time, which are of great importance in sport, are impaired. Disturbed sleep reduces performance in the short term, but damages health in the long term.
Recommendations for your own sleep
You should not use any screens for at least 30-45 minutes before going to bed. This includes all types of monitors (mobile phones, tablets, monitors, televisions, etc.). This is due to the increased release of dopamine, which keeps the brain awake. There are now a large number of apps that record sleep patterns. These can help you to set new routines. Another recommendation is to exercise at least 2 hours before going to bed. This is due to the cyclic body temperature regulation, which decreases at the end of the day. Physical activity will raise it again, which makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Sleep and sport
Sleep before competitions is extremely important. It has positive effects on motor memory consolidation. This means that newly learnt movements are internalized better and more stable if you sleep after learning. Sleep has strong antioxidant and anti-radical effects, which are important for cell repair and recovery. Therefore, with sufficient sleep, regeneration can be better achieved. The hypertrophic effects, which are supposed to be achieved by a training period, also take place during sleep.
Christiano Ronaldo, for example, has a sleep coach who applies a completely different approach. He assumes that a person needs 35 REM sleep cycles (approx. 90 minutes) per week. This contrasts with the previously assumed view of 8 hours of sleep per day. Littlehales also works on sleep training with Manchester United and Real Madrid. The name of the philosophy is "R90 Sleep Recovery Program". In a study it was found that basketball players with enough sleep (10 hours bedtime) have better throwing accuracy, reaction and sprinting ability as well as psychological factors such as the mood of the players.
Conclusion
The research field of sleep is still quite young and there are still many discoveries to be made. It is certain, however, that a sufficiently good night's sleep improves performance in and around sports. Accordingly, all people are encouraged to examine their own sleep patterns and develop routines that are not connected to a monitor.
Literature
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Zulley, J., Wever, R., & Aschoff, J. (1981). The dependence of onset and duration of sleep
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