Getting Enough Sleep

​If not, it is hurting your performance on the field or in the office.  

Having normal sleep patterns is something that many people struggle with, but having a routine can be a huge boost to your energy, performance, and pain levels.  Research recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.  This goes for those people that say, “I only need about 4-5 hours of sleep.” You may be able to function on less sleep, but that does not mean you are functioning optimally. 

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The most effective way to improve sleep habits is to create a nighttime routine or checklist.  The more things that you routinely do each night, the more likely you are to develop a healthy sleep habit.  Here are a couple examples of strategies that could be added to a sleep checklist:

1. Shut the lights and the television off:  Light and sound stimulates the nervous system and doesn’t allow the body to wind down.  The time in the darkness should ideally be used for thinking, breathing, relaxation or even stretching.  These things help induce sleep.
2. No caffeine after late morning or early afternoon:  A soft drink in the early afternoon can still leave caffeine in the blood stream at bed time.  Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and deters sleep.
3. Keep a journal:  The purpose of this journal is not to write everything you can think of, but to help you unload the mind. Writing down thoughts, important tasks, and events will allow you to relax without fear of losing anything. This way, you can pick back up on it in the morning. Just a little notebook and a pen are sufficient.
4. Dark and Cool rooms:  Many people are aware that melatonin aids in the sleep cycle, but most don’t know that melatonin is more effective in dark rooms with cool temperatures. 
5. No kids or animals:  This is a tough one for a lot of people, but there is no doubt there is less sleep interruption without dogs and children kicking you all night or making it too warm to rest comfortably.
6. Go to bed and don’t get up:  Set a bedtime and set a wake time.  Get in bed at bedtime and don’t get out until wake time. Close your eyes if you wake up early or even if you are not sleepy yet in the evening. Consider this “rest time” and soon it will turn into sleep time. Using some of the above suggestions can help make this one a little easier. 
7. Exercise:  In order to sleep, the body needs to be somewhat fatigued.  Exercise can help with this, as it is believed to flush adrenaline and cortisol out of the blood.  Both of these natural chemicals have been shown to increase alertness.

Sleep is a vital aspect of the recovery process whether you are a high level athlete or a high powered attorney.  Normalizing sleep patterns will do wonderful things for your performance and productivity.

John Oxley, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT, CSCS

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