In my last article, I focused on the food we eat as a fundamental component to good recovery. Reminder: Good Training + Good Recovery = Increased Fitness! In this article I will explore sleep, one of the most basic, yet underappreciated functions of the human body.

We should spend a third of our lives asleep, but unfortunately two-thirds of adults, throughout all developed nations, fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of sleep per night. As an athlete, expending more energy than most on a daily basis, sufficient sleep is even more important, to allow our body and mind to recuperate. Roger Federer and Lebron James have been quoted saying they sleep at least 10 hours per day!  

Having recently finished reading a truly insightful book called “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, I want to share with you my learnings, whilst also letting you in on some of my own strategies to ensure I sleep soundly.

The sleep cycle

There are five stages of sleep which can be categorised into NREM and REM. NREM, non-rapid eye movement, is known as deep sleep. In simple terms, during NREM sleep, our brains store and strengthen the facts and skills we have been exposed to that day. REM, rapid eye movement, is often referred to as dream sleep. REM sleep enables our brains to integrate these facts and skills with all past experiences.

All sleep stages are important but stages 3 and 4 are the most important for recovery as they are associated with deep sleep. These stages also coincide with the release of peak concentrations of growth hormones – essential for muscle growth and repair – and other key sleep hormones.

Our bodies respond to NREM sleep with reduced overall muscle tension compared to wakefulness. During REM sleep, however, the body becomes effectively paralysed, with all tone removed from our voluntary muscles. In contrast, our brains become highly active, similar to when we are awake. It is believed that one of the reasons for the muscular paralysis, is to stop us acting out our dreams, which could have dangerous consequences!

Each sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes and contains differing amounts of NREM and REM sleep. As shown in figure 1, more NREM sleep is achieved earlier in the night and as we get closer to waking we spend more time in REM sleep. This pattern highlights the importance of getting a full eight hours, to enable us to pass through all five stages of sleep and ensure we acquire enough of both NREM and REM sleep.

So why do we sleep?

For the brain

Sleep enables us to process and store the skills and facts we have learnt throughout the day. Many studies have shown that sleep deprivation has a huge impact on memory. There is often a lot of talk of ‘muscle memory’ in sport. Muscles themselves don’t have a ‘memory’ but their actions are controlled by the brain. The brain effectively learns the motor skills and instructs the muscles.

We spend hours after hours, stroke after stroke trying to make a technical change that we hope will become second nature to us. However, without sufficient sleep we are less likely to embed those new motor skills in our memory.

For the body

Thousands of scientific studies have looked into the relationship between sleep and human performance. Results indicate that having less than eight hours’ sleep a night – and especially less than six – can mean that athletes will reach a state of total exhaustion between 10-30% sooner.

Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation reduces aerobic output as well as peak and sustained muscle strength. In addition, lactic acid builds up quicker and even the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating is impaired by sleep loss. This is definitely not going to lead to a faster rower. Never mind beauty sleep, I now call it speed sleep!

Ever wondered why when you get a cold or the flu and you just want to sleep, the body craves sleep to heal? Moreover, lack of sleep has been shown to weaken the immune system and leave us more susceptible to infection.

My tips for a good night’s sleep

1 – Stick to a sleep schedule
Humans and especially athletes are creatures of habit. Where possible, you should aim to go to bed and rise in the morning at the same time.

2 – Invest
Investing in a good quality mattress and pillow really will have a huge impact on your quality of sleep.

3 – Temperature control
I have been on many summer training camps in Germany, in a hotel without air conditioning, to know that temperature control is vital for a good night’s sleep! In the winter, I set the thermostat to 19 degrees, and let the heating maintain a stable room temperature. In the summer, keeping the blinds or curtains closed during the day prevents the sun rays heating the room. For really hot summer evenings I have a small fan to help increase air flow. 

4 – Into the darkness
Melatonin is a hormone that signals to the brain and body, the difference between night and day. The cycle of melatonin is influenced by light. It begins to rise a few hours after dusk, peaking at about 4am, and then begins to drop as dawn approaches. To allow melatonin to do its job, I keep my bedroom as dark as possible at night and reduce my exposure to light the closer I get to bedtime.

5 – Relax before bed
I find that reading a book before bed helps me unwind and induces sleep. If reading isn’t your thing, then maybe listening to music or having a hot bath. Find a relaxing activity that works for you. Switching off the TV an hour before bed is ideal but I know this can be hard to do when you are addicted to a Netflix series!

6 – Caffeine consumption
Caffeine is said to have a half-life of between five to seven hours, meaning if you consume 200mg of caffeine, seven hours later you will still feel the effects of 100mg. A study has shown that even a small amount of caffeine in the body can reduce the quality of deep sleep by up to 20%! You may be able to fall and stay asleep but the quality will be impaired. Since learning this, I am trying to adopt the habit of not drinking caffeine after midday. I especially love tea, so I am trying decaffeinated and naturally caffeine free alternatives.

7 – No midnight snacking
Going to sleep on a full stomach can negatively affect sleep. The body will be busy digesting food, inhibiting its ability to fully switch off and unwind into restful sleep. Experiment with how long before sleeping you finish your evening meal.

A bugbear for many athletes is ensuring adequate hydration the next day, without the need to go to the toilet in the night. I find that, if I stop drinking 60 minutes before bed, I will sleep through the night. As long as I have remained hydrated throughout the day, I will be hydrated the following morning.

8 – My bedroom is a device free space
This has been a recent change to my ‘sleep hygiene’ and I will never go back! My phone would be on my bedside table at night, as I used it as an alarm clock. This leads to me into using it, just before I turned out the light. The blue light that is emitted from laptops, TVs and mobile phones suppresses melatonin. Instead, I have bought an alarm clock and leave my phone on charge downstairs.

Interesting fact – did you know if you have less sleep, or if it’s interrupted more, then you may be more sensitive to pain? Let’s be honest, rowing can be painful enough at times, so let’s not exacerbate it!