Exercise to Sleep Better (and Vice Versa!)

IN THIS ARTICLE YOU'LL DISCOVER

• Why people who exercise regularly need more sleep
• How to sleep better with breathing techniques
• Bedtime routines to set you up for sleeping
• Ways that exercise helps you get better quality sleep

In the past, I've brought up the importance of rest and recovery more than a few times. If you do a quick search on the Quick and DirtyTips website, you can easy find them. I have even interviewed the inventor of a device that specifically measures your recovery based on how well you have slept in comparison to how hard you have worked out. But despite my best efforts as a podcaster, blogger and coach, sleep still remains an elusive and often overlooked aspect of fitness. 

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

Way back in 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that “seven is the new eight," explaining that our bodies may need less sleep than what we had traditionally been told. What the Wall Street Journal failed to mention is the increased need for sleep in people who are exercising frequently, tearing down their muscle fibers with weight training, running or cycling, or even engaging in cognitively demanding tasks. (Yes, a stressful work day counts). If you are interested in having solid and consistent mental and physical performance, good sleep should be on the top of your list.

What the Wall Street Journal failed to mention is the increased need for sleep in people who exercise frequently.

Let's take a look at an infographic from an article on the website Fatigue Science called “Why Pro Athletes Sleep 12 Hours A Day” It's for us fit folks who repeatedly engage in this type of body and brain stress. Here are a few highlights:

• Usain Bolt, the fastest sprinter in the world said “Sleep is extremely important to me. I need to rest and recover in order for the training I do to be absorbed by my body.”
• Roger Federer, a professional tennis player who is still at the top of his game at age 37 says “If I don’t sleep 11 to 12 hours a day, it’s not right.”
• Steve Nash, Canada’s best basketball point guard said “For me, sleeping well could mean the difference between putting up  30 points and living with 15....

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