The amount of sleep an athlete gets appears to have a large impact on sports performance.

Cheri Mah of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory has been following the sleep patterns and athletic performance of Stanford athletes for years. Her research continues to show that getting more sleep leads to better sports performance for all types of athletes.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Sleep experts recommend seven to nine hours of daily sleep for adults, and nine to ten hours for adolescents and teens. How do you know how much you need? If you fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed and wake up without an alarm, you are probably getting the right amount of sleep. If you fall asleep immediately upon hitting the pillow and always need an alarm to wake up, you are probably sleep deprived.

Sleep - Tips for Athletes

• Make sleep a priority in your training schedule.
• Increase your sleep time several weeks before a major competition.
• Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day.
• Take daily naps if you don't get enough sleep each night.

Training like an Olympic athlete requires a plan and a lot of dedication. By borrowing a few training secrets from Olympic athletes, you, too, can train smarter and get fit faster.

Learn Olympic Workout Fitness Secrets

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Downhill skiing and snowboarding require specific preparations and conditioning routines to ensure safe winter fun. Learn how ski and snowboarding conditioning exercises may help you avoid injuries on the slopes.

If you do get injuries, fast treatment is important. You can be sure you know what to do by reading up on the most common skiing and snowboarding injuries.

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