SGP Cross Country

Athletes with good sleeping habits gain a huge advantage over athletes who have poor sleep hygiene. Sleep = 🔑 On average, in-season student-athletes are getting 6.27 hours of sleep nightly while 8 hours of sleep is recommended. *Athletic performance: Poor sleep is associated with delayed response time, fatigue and poor decision-making. *Academic performance: Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive performance and is linked to lower GPA. *Injury risk and recovery: Athletes who are sleep deprived have an elevated risk of musculoskeletal injury and delayed recovery following injuries. * Mental health: Inadequate sleep increases the risk for mental health symptoms and disorders, and mental health symptoms and disorders may reduce sleep quality and quantity. —————————————— How to improve your sleep: *Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule. Establish a bedtime routine that can be practiced regularly. *Seek bright light during the day, especially in the morning, and try to avoid bright and blue light at night. *The bedroom should be cool (less than 68 degrees), dark and comfortable. *Caffeine should be avoided at least six hours before bedtime. Avoid nicotine and alcohol. *Consumption of excessive food and liquids at night should be avoided, as these may disrupt sleep. *Avoid obsessive clock watching. Often, looking at the clock at night can increase mental activity and anxiety, and make resuming sleep more difficult. *Individuals who have difficulty falling asleep should generally avoid naps. However, sleep-deprived individuals may find that short-duration napping during the day may improve performance and functioning. *Beds should be used for sleep-related activities only. Other activities such as reading and watching TV, especially if lying awake and unable to sleep, should be done out of the bed. Those who have difficulty falling asleep should get out of bed for a period of time and try again later.