If you’re a young athlete or a parent of a budding superstar, you may assume that practice is the only way to improve. Sure, regular practice and strength training routines are key for becoming a better athlete, but they are only a few pieces of the pie. One oft-overlooked aspect of athletic performance is sleep quality.
You may be amazed to learn just how important it is for athletes to get quality sleep each night. So instead of practicing into the wee hours of the night, you may find that the best thing to do your for body is to let it recover with a restful night of sleep. We dive more into the topic and explain why sleep is so important for the growing athlete in today’s blog.
How Rest Can Fuel Young Athletes
Rest is important for people in all walks of life. Sleep is a restorative process that allows the body to recover from the mental, physical and emotional trauma from the day. Even if it didn’t seem like you pushed your body that hard, your muscles are always working, dealing with the impact of gravity and moving, and you undoubtedly encounter some other forms of stress that can be mentally and emotionally taxing. Restful sleep helps us recover from impact different forms of stress have on our body.
Oftentimes in athletes, the physical and mental stress they face each day is quite significant. Whether you’re pushing yourself hard in a game or practice, or you’re simply highly focused for hours at a time, your brain and your body are going to be exhausted at the day’s end. Instead of trying to push your body even further, you may find that you become a better athlete by regularly getting adequate sleep so that your body can recover from the trauma of the day.
One of the major benefits of sleep for the young athlete is that it can play a big role in injury prevention. Numerous studies have found that sleep plays a key role in injury prevention:
1. Poor Sleep Linked To Musculoskeletal Injuries – This study found that athletes who regularly got less than seven hours of sleep a night for a period of 14 days or longer were at an increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries compared to their well-rested counterparts. These sleep-deprived athletes were 1.7 times more likely to suffer a musculoskeletal injury than the control group, speaking to the importance of at least seven hours of sleep each night.
2. Concussion Risk – Another study found that sleepy athletes were three times more likely to suffer a concussion during athletics than well-rested athletes. In sports that require split-second decision making, a fatigued brain appears more likely to be injured.
3. Injury Recovery – Sleep also plays a vital role in injury recovery. As we mentioned above, sleep is a restorative process, and if this process can’t be completed as necessary because you’re not sleeping well, tissues may not full heal, leaving you predisposed to strains and tears.
We understand that it’s hard to convince young athletes to prioritize sleep, especially if they are juggling sports and school. Practices and games can go late into the night, and by the time homework is done, there may not be many hours left until they have to wake up again. It’s imperative that sleep doesn’t consistently get pushed to the side. Let your athlete sleep in if they had a late night, or encourage them to go to bed a bit early if they’ve had a long day. This quality rest can ensure they are better prepared the next time they step on the field.
We can help your young athlete overcome injuries or prevent them from developing in the first place. If they are dealing with a new or nagging foot or ankle injury, have them connect with Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.