How Lack Of Sleep Can Ruin Your Progress
Recovery is a big game changer in our performance but also our function in everyday life. When we lack sleep we feel lethargic, unmotivated, cranky and switched off. General research has shown that the average human being requires anywhere from 8-10 hours of sleep. While this may be hard for many due to a busy schedule, we should at least aim for 7-9 hours on a regular basis.
What happens during our sleep?
To further understand why we need sleep, we first need to understand what actually happens during sleep. To start off we have different sleep cycles which are all important for a proper well rested shut eye.
Stage 1 - Non Rapid Eye Movement Sleep 1 (Non-REM Sleep 1)
This is the first part of your sleep cycle where you are drowsy and still awake but are starting to drift. Quite often in this stage do we have muscle spasms or jolts that wake us back into consciousness.
Stage 2 - Non Rapid Eye Movement Sleep 2 (Non-REM Sleep 2)
This is the stage where we start to fall out of consciousness but haven’t completely dosed off. We are less likely to wake up compared to stage 1. Brain waves start to slow, temperature starts to decrease and our heart rate slows down.
Stage 3 - Non Rapid Eye Movement Sleep 3 (Non-REM Sleep 3)
Known as the Pre-REM stage or the most restorative stage of sleep. Also accounting for roughly 40% of our total sleep duration and essential for muscle and tissue. During this stage, your body secretes more growth hormones to improve overall recovery which is essential for performance.
Stage 4 - Rapid Eye Movement Sleep 3 (REM Sleep )
The deepest stage of sleep which is involved with mental recovery. REM sleep helps provide more energy to the brain to sustain activity during waking hours. This accounts for roughly 25-35% of our sleep.
So why do we need to sleep?
Understanding the importance of what happens during sleep can help us relate why we need to actually sleep. Not only do we know it is important for recovery of muscles, tissue and our brain but that intertwines with our cognitive function. When we lack sleep, we don’t have the same cognitive capacity. This means less neural-muscular coordination and can increase our chance of injury. In simple terms, it means that our brain is sloppy and we don’t have the best control of our body. A study by Dr Matthew Walker, PhD showed that those who slept after midnight showed 2.5x more likely to have social withdrawals and suffer from loneliness. Another study by Dr Milewski in 2014 showed that athletes who slept on average < 8hrs per night had 1.7x greater risk of being injured through sport compared to those who slept for 8hrs or more. Imagine being at risk almost by double of being injured from just training while sleep deprived. Not only would the injury set you back, but could potentially be permanent damage which would affect your training career.
What to do
Although sleeping 8hrs+ is an ideal scenario, most of us due to a busy schedule might not be able to fit that in. I know some days I’d have to be up at 5am to fit in my BJJ training before work so that I could fit in my strength and conditioning training, programming and other work related activity outside of my coaching hours. I’d then finish work at 8pm and will probably be in bed by 10pm after finishing what I’d have to. That would give me 6-7hrs sleep on a regular. However I try to maximise my sleep as much as possible. Things that include:
Wearing blue light blocking glasses or turning my phone on night mode
Not be on my phone or watch TV within half an hour before bed
Not eating any spices close to bedtime
Not consuming caffeine or other stimulates after 2pm
Meditating
Listening to soft and relaxing music
Breathing exercises
Final notes
Sleep is imperative for recovery, performance and a long happy life. We should try our best to maximise the quality of sleep we get despite our busy lifestyle. Lack of sleep can lead to injury 1.7 more than those who sleep 8hrs regularly which is a huge risk for those serious about their training and health.
I hope this blog shines some light on some sleep related topics for general health and well being. If you’re serious about making gains then prioritise sleep. As always guys, if you have any questions or topics that would like to be covered, comment on our comment section and I’ll try to be as much help as possible.
Peace out Movement Fam!
Coach Matty