Sleep can often be overlooked when it comes to an individuals health and fitness, it can not be emphasised enough just how integral a role it plays. Getting enough sleep isn’t only about the total hours of sleep you get. It’s also important to get good quality sleep on a regular basis so you feel well rested when you wake up.
Health benefits
Immune function - Even a small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function. One large 2-week study monitored the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with the cold virus. They found that those who slept less than 7 hours were almost 3 times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more (1).
Weight control - Studies show that sleep-deprived individuals have a larger appetite and tend to eat more calories. Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation. This ultimately leads to increased body mass (2).
Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes - Experimental sleep restriction affects blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity. In a study in healthy young men, restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for 6 nights in a row caused symptoms of prediabetes. These symptoms resolved after one week of increased sleep duration (3).
Lower risk of heart disease - A review of 15 studies found that people who don’t get enough sleep are at far greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7–8 hours per night (4).
Poor sleep is linking to depression - It’s been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about sleep quality (5).
Improved cognitive function - Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. This includes cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance. All of these are negatively affected by sleep deprivation (6). Another study published in the National library of medicine found that short sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication (7)
Sport performance
Nike Oregon project recommend their athletes get 10-12 hours sleep per night and an additional 1 hr nap per day.
In a study on basketball players, longer sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction times, and mental well-being.
Reilly and deykon (8) reported that athletes subjected to sleep restriction (<6hr) showed a reduction in muscular endurance efforts and increased fatigue levels. This is because sleep deprivation causes a decreased production of glycogen and carbohydrates that are stored for energy use during physical activity. One off maximal efforts appeared not to be affected as much.
A study in over 2,800 women found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities (9).
Sleep quality and quantity
The NHS states that adults need between 6-9 hours sleep per night, this varies based on the individuals needs. However regardless of whether you get this recommended amount of sleep, if the quality of sleep you get is low then you will still wake up feeling lethargic and tired. Below are some tips on improving sleep quality.
Tips to improve sleep quality
Keep a consistent sleep routine - Your body’s circadian rhythm functions on a set loop, aligning itself with sunrise and sunset. Being consistent with your sleep and waking times can aid long-term sleep quality. One study noted that participants who had irregular sleeping patterns and went to bed late on the weekends reported poor sleep (10)
Exercise during the day but not before bed - Exercise is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep and health. A number of studies published in Pubmed show it can enhance all aspects of sleep and has been used to reduce symptoms of insomnia. One study in older adults determined that exercise nearly halved the amount of time it took to fall asleep and provided 41 more minutes of sleep at night. Although daily exercise is key for a good night’s sleep, performing it too late in the day may cause sleep problems. This is due to the stimulatory effect of exercise, which increases alertness and hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline (11).
Read before bed - Relaxation techniques such as reading before bed have been shown to improve sleep quality and are another common technique used to treat insomnia (12).
Don’t eat late in the evening - Numerous studies report eating late at night may negatively affect both sleep quality and the natural release of human growth hormone and melatonin.
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