The Importance of sleep with a 'stay at home' routine
This week’s Tri Training Harder theme is recovery. Over the last few weeks, varying degrees of lockdown has swept around the globe. But with all this extra time at home, are we getting enough good quality sleep? In this blog, coach Jon Reilly talks through the importance of sleep during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Why is sleep so important during a global pandemic?
Getting adequate sleep has countless benefits for our bodies; physical health, mental health and sporting performance. When we sleep, our bodies repair and restore systems on a muscular, skeletal and cellular level. In the current climate, one of the biggest benefits of sleep, that we all need to be aware of, is its ability to boost our immune system. If we are not getting enough REM sleep, our bodies will not recover properly and we will be more susceptible to illness. Studies have shown that the ‘virus-fighting’ white blood cells are more effective while you are asleep and the reduced energy demand during sleep allows the body to allocate more resources to the immune system.
Research by the University of California (San Francisco) highlights the effect lack of sleep can have on our immune system. The research demonstrated that people who slept an average of 6 hours a night or less were significantly more likely to catch a common cold than those who slept for 7 hours or more. This review concludes that the optimal amount of sleep is a highly personal thing, it depends on many factors, however, the general guidelines indicate that adults should be getting 7- 9 hours of quality sleep a night.
How can we improve our lockdown sleep hygiene?
Stick to a regular sleep routine
Studies show how important a regular sleep pattern is to our health. Keeping a regular daily routine can help us maintain a good sleep pattern. In these unusual times, we should try to keep our lives as close to our normal routine as possible. If we are working from home, we should try to get up at the same time as we normally would. At TTH we are helping you keep some sort of routine by setting up a weekly schedule of training sessions that we can all do together. Speak to your coach to see which sessions suit your particular circumstances. Whether it be the group Zwift sessions, live S&C or injury prevention clinics. Having a 7 am Zwift Meetup could be just the thing you need to get you back into a regular routine.
Avoid screen time before bed
Now that the majority of us can no longer communicate with our friends and family face-to-face, we are all switching to our various devices to keep in touch with the world whilst we stay at home. Studies suggest too much screen time close to bedtime can suppress the sleep hormone, melatonin, which can interfere with our circadian rhythm. Blue light emitted from our devices also stimulates the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can prevent us from getting a restful night's sleep. Our devices are also constantly updating us on the ever-evolving news updates which are likely to increase our anxiety further impacting on our sleep. Try turning off all screens and avoiding news updates an hour before bedtime, instead read a book (not an e-book) or listen to music.
Avoid excessive alcohol intake
For some, alcohol can be the first go-to item in stressful situations. However, according to the Sleep Doctor, alcohol before bed can dramatically disrupt your circadian rhythm leading to poor sleep. Alcohol has the double whammy effect of disrupting your sleep and decreasing your immune system in its own right.
Avoid caffeine six hours before bedtime.
Working from home may mean you consume more caffeinated drinks with your home office now being within easy reach of the kettle. However, research shows that caffeine in tea or coffee has a half-life of 3-5 hours, meaning the caffeine is still circulating in your system long after drinking your favourite caffeinated beverage. Research suggests limiting caffeine consumption within 6 hours of bedtime to help improve sleep quality.
Exercise regularly
Daily exercise is important, not only for helping us hold down that regular routine, but it helps us sleep. Social distancing may have you feeling that your exercise options are more limited, but with some imagination, we can still get plenty of exercise at home. Bear in mind though, research recommends against performing ‘vigorous’ exercise within one hour of bedtime as the stimulation of hard physical exertion can make it harder to get to sleep.
We may not have any events to focus on and a lot more free time on our hands, so let's put our ‘training focus’ on our general health and recovery. We hope the above tips will help you prioritise adequate good quality sleep in this time of uncertainty.
We’re here to help
Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.
The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.
If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.