Athletes Perform Better With More Sleep

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.