The importance of sleep when training cannot be overstated. Says the man who can't seem to sleep through the night. Anyhow. This weeks blog post focuses on sleep and the importance of proper recovery from your running and how getting enough rest can seriously help make your life better. 

wait how many hours?

This is the big question how many hours of sleep should I get a night? Well that depends. Regular folks 7 to 8 hours a night should do. For us Elite athletes more like 8 to 10. Whether you're training to run faster at your local 5k or complete the Boston Marathon you're taxing your body and you need to recover. 8 to 10 may sound like a lot but you'll find you won't just feel better on the run you'll enjoy your life a little more too! Sleep quality is important too, you should wake up feeling alert and refreshed if you've had a good nights sleep. 

benefits for training

According to the National Sleep Association “sleep is as essential as diet and exercise. Inadequate sleep can result in fatigue, depression, concentration problems, illness and injury.” That last word there is like fingers on a chalkboard to us runners. When you sleep your body releases a growth hormone that helps repair those tired muscles. If you do not sleep well, those muscles you just beat up cannot repair quite as well. Add that up over a few weeks and thats when those injuries pop up. If you are training MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY just like you make your running a priority do the same for bed time. 

benefits for life

Sleep just is awesome isn't it? When we sleep we repair damaged cells, we boost our immune system, we recover and we recharge our cardiovascular system for the next day. Getting a good nights sleep on a regular basis can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and a bunch of other ailments. Getting a good nights sleep can help ya be more productive and improve concentration. I could go on and on about all the awesome benefits of sleep but that might put you to...well...sleep. 

The conclusion here is that ya should probably make sleep a priority and get into the habit of setting up a before bed routine! 

Cheers,

Eric