About Sleep
Sleep Related Conditions
Sleep Disorders
Olympic athletes sleep just like you and me but for them, it should be a really good sleep. It is a well-known truth that sleep loss creates significant changes in our efficiency. But what it takes to have a good sleep?
How Much Sleep Do Olympians Need?
Eight hours of sleep is the standard, but seven and a half to eight is the optimal amount. Besides, there are lab studies that clearly show that if you are an eight-hour sleeper who gets six hours of sleep, this two-hour difference can impact your performance.
Literally, it means that you would perform in a way as if you had a 0.05 blood-alcohol level. In this way, try sticking to your sleeping schedule which will definitely help you get the best of the day as well as gold for Olympians.
Do Athletes Perform Better With More Sleep?
Why Olympic athletes’ sleep is so important for them? During the Olympic Games, athletes get a lot of pressure. Mental, psychological, and physical. They feel exhausted and nevertheless, should always be in a ready state to get to the top and show the best.
How does it work?
As it was mentioned in a previous paragraph, 7.5-8 hours are enough! Don’t sleep less or more. Why? There is an important rule about the sleeping cycle that says:
“It feels better, but it’s not good in terms of keeping your own internal circadian clock strong and strict to the exact time range. This precise schedule programs your brain and it knows when it should sleep, and when it should get up.”
Ah, there are so many romantic songs and sentimental moments from movies that come into our lives, but not in the lives of Olympians and people who are about to achieve the top! Don’t listen to your heart. Follow the schedule and you will surely get what you expect from any day.
How Do Athletes Sleep Before a Big Game?
Olympic athletes sleep in specially well-planned and prepared bedrooms. Now let’s have a look at the athlete’s bedroom. Here we can see basic rules that, actually, work for ordinary people, too: low light, cool temperatures, prohibiting alcohol, and background noise.
1. Sleeping in low light is important.
You need the hormone melatonin to sleep, and melatonin is only released under low-light conditions.
2. As for the room temperature, it needs to be on the cooler side
Your body temperature tracks your circadian rhythm, so as night begins, your body temperature falls and it reaches a minimum after you go to bed. Closer to 4 or 5 a.m. the body temperature reaches a minimum degree. If you are in an environment where you can’t lose body heat, for instance, if it’s hot and humid, you won’t sleep well.
3. Background noise should be eliminated or adjusted
There are always several conditions that produce a lot of noise. Neighbors who won the gold medal, or those who didn’t. Outside construction site workers suddenly decided to build something and so on. Earplugs will help to get rid of disturbing sounds. Or earphones to listen to the music. Just set the timer and dive into the music and later into the world of dreams. If your ears are picky about things being inside them at night, use background music. Sounds of ocean waves, wind, birds, all of them will help you to relax and gradually, fall asleep.
4. Alcohol is something that should be forbidden
We usually think that a glass of wine will knock us out or it won’t affect our sleep, not so! It makes you sleepy at first, but then as your alcohol level falls, your sleep becomes more disrupted and fragmented than normal. It makes things worse than better.
As a result, the next day you are going to be sluggish, not having enough energy, and in an irritable mood. It will be difficult to stay focused and make decisions because your body is not in its optimal state.
Conclusion
Summarizing all that was said, we can conclude that Olympians follow their schedule. It refers to sleeping and waking up time. They use various methods to help them sleep better and achieve the best.
Things are related and happen in close connection to each other. Be disciplined. Be strict to yourself. No pain, no gain. To the victory!
If you have trouble sleeping, try ShutEye®, an all-in-one sleep app. ShutEye brings a wide variety of tools to help you fall asleep and understand your sleep cycles from a scientific perspective.
So stop tossing and turning all night, and start falling asleep healthily and naturally.
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