How to Enhance Performance With Better Sleep

Topics covered
Popular Clips
Questions from this episode
- Asked by 6,480 people
- Asked by 444 people
- Asked by 398 people
- Asked by 313 people
- Asked by 289 people
- Asked by 137 people
- Asked by 115 people
- Asked by 111 people
- Asked by 95 people
- Asked by 78 people
- Asked by 76 people
- Asked by 70 people
- Asked by 61 people
- Asked by 60 people
- Asked by 59 people
Episode Highlights
Sleep Duration
underscores the importance of sleep duration for athletes, noting that sleep affects nearly every physiological process, from performance enhancement to injury recovery. He introduces the concept of sleep extension or sleep banking, where athletes increase their sleep time by 30 minutes to 2 hours, which has shown to be effective in improving performance metrics such as sprint times and shooting accuracy 1. For instance, athletes who extended their sleep reduced their sprint times and improved their free throw and three-point shooting percentages 2.
Increasing sleep duration can lead to significant improvements in both actual performance and the perception of performance.
---
Sleep Quality
Addressing sleep quality is equally crucial. explains that many athletes suffer from undiagnosed sleep disorders, which can severely impact their performance. He highlights various metrics used to assess sleep quality, such as sleep efficiency, latency, and fragmentation 3. Advanced methods like polysomnography (PSG) and cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) provide detailed insights into sleep quality, though they can be expensive 4.
We're leaving a lot of health and performance on the table by not addressing our sleep quality and sleep disorders.
---
Sleep Timing
also delves into the importance of sleep timing and circadian rhythms. He explains that athletes perform best when they align their activities with their natural circadian rhythms, which can be particularly challenging when traveling across time zones 5. Studies have shown that teams playing in their normal circadian rhythm have a significant performance advantage 6.
Manipulating your timing can lead to huge performance enhancements, even if sleep extension or quality improvements are not feasible.
---
Related Episodes
How Lactate & Metabolism Influence Performance
Answers 383 questionsHow to Improve Your VO2 Max & Build Endurance
Answers 383 questionsWhy Muscle Matters & How to Build Muscle | Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
Answers 383 questionsWelcome to Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
Answers 383 questionsHow to Use & Interpret Blood Tests for High Performance
Answers 383 questionsHow & Why to Strengthen Your Heart & Cardiovascular Fitness
Answers 383 questionsNutrition to Support Brain Health & Offset Brain Injuries
Answers 383 questionsGenetic Testing for Sports Performance | Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
Answers 383 questions