Good news for athletes suffering from sleep disorders
The findings of a recent study carried out in Finland provide good news for athletes who suffer from sleep disorders. The research, which highlighted the high rate of sleep disorders experienced by athletes, illustrates that there are measures that can be taken to improve the sleep of professional athletes. The study carried out by the University of Eastern Finland and Oivauni Sleep Clinic is one of the latest to be carried out in the area of sleep and is regarded as hugely significant as it provides hope for those finding difficulty getting the required rest and recovery to help reach their potential as athletes.
Michael Grandner, in Mind, Body and Sport: Sleeping disorders highlights the importance of sleep when he points out that rather than sleep being a passive state of rest, it is instead an active state of rebuilding, repair, reorganization and regeneration.
During sleep, the body performs many other vital functions for which it needs to be disconnected from the environment. For example, sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation, emotional regulation, growth and cell repair
He continues to point out that many people, both in the general population and among athletes, fail to get sufficient sleep. One of the areas this can be of particular concern is among student athletes due to the multiple demands on their time and energy. Dealing with sleep issues can be essential in preventing negative effects on mental clarity and health. There are many people who are unable to get sufficient sleep due to their lifestyle and this can be caused by factors such as time pressure, nutrition, stress, poor sleeping environment etc.
What is a sleep disorder?
For some people, this can be a temporary situation or something that can be easily dealt with. However, for others the problem goes deeper and they end up battling a sleep disorder which can in many cases be very difficult to overcome. The Cleveland Clinic defines a sleep disorder as follows:
Sleep disorders are conditions that prevent a person from getting restful sleep and, as a result, can cause daytime sleepiness and dysfunction. There are approximately 80 different types of sleep disorders. About 70 million Americans suffer from them
The most common are insomnia and sleep apnea. Insomnia involves people have difficulty falling or staying asleep and can lead to daytime difficulties such as fatigue, poor concentration, sleepiness and mood problems. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep.
Consequences for athletes
For an athlete, the consequences of not getting sufficient sleep can be very serious. Without proper rest, the ability to train, recover and perform when it matters most are all impaired and in the world of professional sport this can be the difference between success and failure. In How Sleep Deprivation Affects Athletic Performance Doug Dupont points out that it is important to understand the real effects of being sleep deprived on performance. He suggests that having more information on the effect sleep deprivation has on performance is essential to help deal with problems that may arise. He points to the results of a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning which looks at the how sleep deprivation impacted on the performance of judo competitors. Like many combat sports and martial arts, judo imposes a broad variety of physical demands on a person, including power, flexibility, endurance, and quick reaction times. Because of the breadth of physical needs to perform well in judo, if sleep deprivation impacted any of them, it would show through in the performance. The tests were carried out before and after a judo match at two different times of day – 9am in the morning and 4pm. The researchers did the tests at two different times of the day to see if the effect on sleep varied depending on the time of competition and the results provided interesting reading.
The initial test illustrated that athletes were stronger and had greater cardio power at 4pm than 9am, but there was no difference after sleep deprivation, prompting Dupont to sum up:
That means sleep deprivation had a similar effect as actually exhausting yourself during a performance
Sleep problems can be treated
As a result it is essential for many athletes to deal with any sleeping issues they have and it is for this reason that the study in the University of Eastern Finland is such welcome news. The research was conducted in conjunction with the Oivauni Sleep Clinic and analyzed the sleep of 107 professional athletes. They were all given information on how to sleep better, while those who suffered from sleep disorders were provided with individual treatment plans by a specialist. What emerged from the study was that a quarter of the athletes were found to be suffering from a sleep disorder such as having trouble falling asleep, snoring or sleep-disordered breathing. The results of the surveys conducted on the athletes illustrated that guidance on sleep along with personalized treatment plans significantly improved the performance of the athlete. These findings are backed up by Dupont’s assertion that athletes can improve their performance if they address the issues of sleep deprivation including using sports psychology to help deal with anxiety.
References
Sleep disorders common in athletes, but easily fixable | University of East Finland
Mind, Body and Sport: Sleeping disorders: An excerpt from the Sport Science Institute’s guide to understanding and supporting student-athlete mental wellness By Michael Grandner
Common Sleep Disorders | Cleveland Clinic
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Athletic Performance by Doug Dupont
Effects of Time-of-Day and Partial Sleep Deprivation on Short-Term Maximal Performances of Judo Competitors by Souissi, Nizar; Chtourou, Hamdi; Aloui, Asma; Hammouda, Omar; Dogui, Mohamed; Chaouachi, Anis; Chamari, Karim
Tossing And Turning: Runners And Sleeping Issues By Jeff Gaudette
Sleep of professional athletes: Underexploited potential to improve health and performance by Tuomilehto H, Vuorinen VP, Penttilä E, Kivimäki M, Vuorenmaa M, Venojärvi M, Airaksinen O, Pihlajamäki J.
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