Don't sleep on this, coaches.

We want sleep to be our players’ best friend and their most important training partner.

“Athletes may be able to optimize training and competition outcomes by identifying strategies to maximize the benefits of sleep,” says Dr. Cheri Mah, a physician scientist at the University of California San Francisco Human Performance Center.

One of the reasons good sleep improves performance is the body releases human growth hormone during stages three and four of sleep (out of five stages), which promotes recovery from training and games, and aids in the growth and strength of muscles, tendons, and bones.

Because of the release of human growth hormone, sleep can be thought as an athlete’s “natural steroid.”

Research studies prove sleep improves performance

Dr. Mah has done research on the effect of increased sleep duration on athletic performance. In one of her first studies, she tested college swimmers before and after they increased their sleep to 10 hours/night for 6-7 weeks. She tested the swimmers on a 15-metre sprint, start time off the blocks, swim turn time, and kick strokes. After the swimmers spent 6-7 weeks getting 10 hours of sleep, they were tested again and these were the results:

• They swam the 15-metre sprint 0.51 seconds faster
• They reacted 0.15 seconds quicker off the start blocks
• They improved turn time by 0.10 seconds
• They increased their kick strokes by 5.0

This relates to hockey because players who get proper sleep may be able to accelerate quicker, be faster on straight away skating, and have quicker strides.

Dr. Mah tested seven Stanford University football players. She wanted the football players to get a minimum of 10 hours of sleep each night. Before the sleep extension, they were tested on a 20-yard shuttle run, 40-yard dash, and were questioned about day-time sleepiness, fatigue, and vigour scores (feelings of possessing strength, emotional energy, and mental liveliness). Getting more sleep showed the following results:

• They decreased 20-yard shuttle run time by 0.10-seconds
• They decreased 40-yard dash time by 0.10-seconds
• Their day-time sleepiness and fatigue decreased
• Their vigour scores significantly improved

As it relates to hockey and skating, players who get enough sleep might be faster and have more energy when training, practising, and playing.

Dr. Mah did a similar study using male basketball players and tested them on a shuttle sprint (baseline to half-court, back to baseline, then full-court, and back to baseline), free throw accuracy, and three-point shooting accuracy. After 5-7 weeks of sleeping longer, the basketball players were tested again and these are the results:

• They improved shuttle sprint time by .07 seconds
• Their free throw shooting improved by 9%
• Their three-point shooting increased accuracy by 9.2%

Jennifer Schwartz and Richard Simon did a study in 2015 where they had seven female and five male college tennis players practice tennis serves before and after getting more sleep. Serving accuracy improved by 6.10% after the players increased their sleep. These two studies could be compared to improving shooting accuracy in hockey by getting more sleep.

How does sleep improve the performance of players?

Getting good quality and quantity of sleep enhances performance by improving mental function, reaction time, hand-eye coordination, concentration, increased energy, and improved mood. Sleep also helps athletes recovery from training, practices, and games. There is an important relationship between recovery during sleep and an athlete’s ability to train at maximum capacity. Quality sleep also improves motivation, judgment, and attention.

Sleep experts indicate it is the sleep after a game or practice that enhances skill development.

How much sleep do our athletes need?

Improved performance is a balance of many factors

Tips to help our players get better sleep

• Turn off cell phones, iPads, and laptops 1-2 hours before bed. The blue light from cell phones, iPads, and laptops can interfere with the secretion of melatonin which will make it harder for a player to fall asleep. Melatonin is a hormone that makes us sleepy.
• Decrease the temperature in the bedroom. The body likes cooler temperatures for better sleep. Set the temperature to 18-20°C, but it can be as low as 15°C. The bedroom should be like a tomb — cold, dark, and quiet.
• Take a hot bath or shower 90-120 minutes before bed. The body temperature drops quickly after a hot bath or shower.
• Evaluate and address “bedroom” factors:
  • Reduce ambient noise
  • Use black out curtains
  • Use a reliable, regular, effective alarm clock
  • Use a good mattress and pillow
  • Make sure doors and windows are closed and locked.
  • Have a pre-bedtime ritual to relax, turn off electronics, and maybe have a snack that will help with sleep.