Quality sleep should be one of the top priorities for supporting health and fitness goals. You can train hard in the gym and eat all the right foods, but if you’re not getting adequate sleep, your body and mind can suffer. Without sufficient rest, the muscles you work out during training sessions cannot properly recover, which inhibits muscular growth and development. During sleep, the body increases growth hormone production, which is essential for muscle repair, connective tissue rebuilding, and overall recovery from training. Even one or two nights of poor sleep can reduce attention span, slow reaction time, and impair decision-making, all of which directly impact work performance and daily productivity.
Research supports that optimal sleep plays a critical role in physical recovery and cognitive performance. Studies published by the National Sleep Foundation demonstrate that inadequate sleep can impair muscle recovery, reduce strength output, and negatively affect focus, decision-making, and physical and cognitive reaction time.
A healthy recommendation for good-quality sleep is to get 7-9 hours of sleep nightly. The progress made in the gym is reinforced during rest and recovery, not always during the workout itself. When you prioritize sleep, you give your body and mind the time needed to reboot and recover.
–Written by Coach Paul Atienza