"For me, sleeping well could mean the difference between putting up 30 points and living with 15.” - Steve Nash
Hello friends!
There are many misconceptions when it comes to sleep, which in my opinion have a detrimental impact, specifically on young athletes and the way they approach sleep. So I wanted to take a little time to share part of our sleep philosophy and provide some easy-to-use guidelines to ensure optimal sleep.
We at 5th Quarter Recovery believe that sleep is the most undervalued part of the training and recovery process. We use the word “training” purposely for this subject because we want to break down stereotypes stating that sleep is for lazy people and that it is optional. We want to permanently do away with the old sayings “rest when you are dead” or “sleep is for the weak”. Getting adequate sleep should be looked at as a training session in itself and needs to be recognized as the most essential part of the recovery process.
Considering this, many athletes still CHOOSE to sit up at night playing on their phones, scrolling through social media, or watching movies until late at night, instead of going to bed early and getting the recommended and necessary 8-9 hours of sleep1. Subsequently, they wake up the following day and push their bodies to the limit expecting themselves to train or play to the best of their abilities. This cannot work out in the long run, since they are missing out on the sheer countless benefits of sleep. These include physical and psychological restoration (RECOVERY), reduced risk of injury, memory consolidation (especially beneficial for skill-focused sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc.), and proper immune system functioning just to name a few2. One of the big issues here is that many athletes are unaware of their own sleep-deprived state and therefore miss out on using the restorative power of sleep to their advantage. Getting sufficient sleep is one of the single most powerful adjustments many athletes should undertake, in order to start performing at their true potential (Trust me! Try to aim for AT LEAST 8 hours a night, if you are trying to perform at the highest level).
If you want some examples of the world's best athletes using the benefits of sleep to its fullest potential, watch and listen to sleep expert Matthew Walker in this short video.
So how can we help you to get the most out of each night finally allowing you to know what it feels like to train and perform in an optimal state?
By providing you with a prime pre-bed routine that will provide you with simple steps to follow. These steps will improve your sleep and allow your body to go through its natural recovery process. Start making this a priority today!
5 Ways To Get a Better Sleep3
- Stick to a sleep schedule!
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to allow your body to find an optimal sleep rhythm.
- Protect yourself from blue light at night!
Avoid looking at bright screens from TVs, laptops, iPads, phones, etc. at least 1 hour before your planned sleep time. Blue light increases alertness and delays the release of sleep-inducing hormones. So, if you still have to look at screens before bed consider using glasses with a blue light filter or make use of apps on your devices that filter blue light.
- Create a comfortable sleep environment!
Keep your room quiet, rather cool, and completely dark. Think about making use of a comfortable mattress that will allow you to look forward to your sleep.
- Avoid large meals late at night!
A light casein rich snack (e.g. cottage cheese, greek yogurt) is fine, but a larger meal won’t allow your body to focus on its natural processes during the initial phases of sleep.
- Take a hot Epsom salt bath before bed!
This essential tip should be put to use, especially on nights after a tough training or competition day since it accelerates muscle recovery while also bringing your body to optimal sleep temperature once you get out of the bath.
Make sure to try some of these tips in order to get a feel for what it takes to be fully rested when you start each day.
Sample pre-bed routine: (I myself try to stick to this routine and it has helped my development as a player immensely!)
- 8.30 pm = Turn off all screens and put away any devices (TV, phone, laptop, etc.) to allow my body to release the essential sleep-inducing hormones.
- 8.30 pm = Preparing and eating a greek yogurt snack as the last meal before bed (casein ingestion before sleep improves the overnight recovery process4).
- 8.45 pm - 9.30 pm = Entering the bedroom to read a book with only the night table lamp on (reduces exposure to bright lights and a great way to transition into sleep).
- 9.30 pm = Lights off (bedroom should be completely dark, cool, and silent at this point).
- 9.30 pm - 6.30 am = 9 hours of sleep!
- 6.30 am = Recovered and ready for the morning routine of champions! (https://www.instagram.com/p/B-yOprSJaM1/!)
The game ends. Recovery begins. And recovery starts with a good sleep!
- Phil
5th Quarter Recovery
1 Walker, Matthew. Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Simon and Schuster, 2017.
2 Venter, Rachel E. "Role of sleep in performance and recovery of athletes: a review article." South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation 34.1 (2012): 167-184.
3Adapted from NIH Medline Plus (Internet). Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine (US); summer 2012. Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. Available from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/summer12/articles/summer12pg20.html.
4Res, Peter T., et al. "Protein ingestion before sleep improves postexercise overnight recovery." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 44.8 (2012): 1560-1569.