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Sleep- How much should I be getting?
In almost every training book, manual or Coaching handout, sleep is covered as a topic very briefly: “the athlete should get 7-9 hours sleep a night” is about the norm, then the author moves on.
In my experience assuming that young athletes get enough sleep (and eat properly) is an assumption too far. Instead, poor lifestyle choices, nutrition habits and too much internet \ gaming time lead to poor sleep in a lot of people.
Inadequate sleep and nutrition prevent proper adaptation to training programmes- it is interesting in that almost all research that sports scientists quote as proving training method X, the quality and quantity of the rest is not measured or recorded.
Sleep is individual (for me 6-7 hours solid is enough, however illusory that has been over the last 3 years with the kids) some need more, but whatever it is, having more than 3 nights of disturbed sleep should lead to a lay off in your usual training loads.
I wouldn’t say abstain from training, but generally it is a good idea to work on low level aerobic work and avoid high intensity intervals or loads to allow your homeostasis to be restored. Do this for 2-3 days until your normal sleep patterns resume, disrupted sleep can be a sign of too much training of one type.
Read our full guide on sleep for athletes.
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For the past 2 years, as Head of Athletic Development, James has made a significant contribution to the development and understanding of athletic development among our sports programmes. With knowledge and passion, he has continually championed best practise in relation to the athletic development of young athletes, and been unstinting in the rigour of its delivery. As a coach, James has made a direct contribution to the development of several prominent individuals, as well as more broadly to our squads.
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[…] Sleep is considered very important for athletes, thus the more sleep an athlete gets the more immune to disease they are, according to research. However it must be stated that if you slept all day every day, not that students would even consider this, it can have the adverse effect. A mix of between six and eight hours a night and a good training regime and diet will all help. […]