Sleep Matters: Why is Getting Enough Sleep Important? Getting enough sleep increases a host of things including increased; focus, stamina, strength, muscle growth and regeneration to name a few. This is what happens while we sleep. Important hormones are released that are only triggered by darkness and light intervals over alternating 24 hour periods regulated by our bodies “internal clock”. You know what I’m talking about. When this rhythm is working the way it should, we feel rested and we don’t need an alarm clock – we just wake up on cue every morning ready to go. The part of sleep that I am talking about here is REM (or deep sleep) and for at least 6 continuous, uninterrupted hours. That means no waking up or going to the bathroom. So blinds closed with no light or waking up for all of the 10 hours. When we mess with these rhythms by not getting enough sleep, our metabolism of glucose (which gives us energy) declines, and our level of cortisol (which causes stress) increases. Less Energy – More Stress is an equation for athletic disaster. The longer we are not in the proper sleep rhythm the greater likelihood for diminished athletic performance, not to mention decreased concentration, focus and increased likelihood of injury.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 03:43:57 +0000