Due to the physical exertion associated with running, chances are that you will need more sleep than the average couch potato. While the average, healthy adult requires between 8 and 9 hours of sleep a night according to the CDC, athletes are known to sleep for between 9 and 11 hours, depending on their training schedule. Not sleeping enough will not only affect your performance to a great extent but can also end up being extremely harmful as it increases your risk of both illness and injury. While a night of poor sleep may not directly impact your heart, lungs and legs, your brain and its neural system will undoubtedly be lethargic, affecting your perceived efforts and debilitating your performance.
Lack of sleep can compromise your HGH production
Back in 1989, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) became the first to label the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) as a banned substance. While it is known to enhance performance there is no need for a runner to compromise his career by making use of illegal injections. HGH is, in fact, a natural hormone that is released by the pituitary gland, aiding recovery after strenuous exercise by repairing damaged cells and strengthening the muscles. Once sleep deprivation sets in, the body’s HGH production decreases, leaving you unable to recover and more prone to injury.
What causes sleep deprivation?
There are many things that can contribute to a runner’s lack of sleep apart from the usual culprits: caffeine or alcohol intake or overstimulation thanks to electronic devices. It is important to pinpoint the cause of your insomnia so that it can be treated accordingly. As far as runners are concerned, the following two are amongst the most prevalent of causes leading to severe sleep disturbances.
Your mattress can make you or break you
If you find yourself tossing and turning all night due to an uncomfortable mattress, it is definitely time to get a new one. As a runner, the last thing you can afford is to have stiff, sore muscles from sleeping on a bed that provides no support to your neck, back and limbs. Individuals who sleep on their backs are more prone to mattress-related agony than those who sleep on their sides. While you can get temporary relief by placing a pillow under your knees to release some of the pressure, investing in a quality mattress with adequate support is best for sleeping on your back in the long-run.
Don’t exert yourself near bedtime
Where possible, try not to run in the hour leading up to bedtime. While exercise may make you physically tired, it can rev you up mentally according to Dr Stuart Quan, a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School. Late-night exercise can also increase the amounts of adrenaline and cortisol in your body, making it difficult to sleep. Luckily, these hormonal spikes, as well as an increase in heart rate and blood sugar levels, only last for approximately an hour before it returns to normal, making it easier to fall (and stay) asleep.
If it remains untreated, your insomnia will not only have a negative effect on your performance but on your overall health as well. If you find yourself battling with sleep deprivation on a regular basis it is best to seek professional medical intervention to rule out any underlying medical conditions.