Seven hours of sleep might not be enough for many athletes to perform at their best. Sleep and its impact on athletic performance still is being researched. However, it is clear that athletes who are sleep-deprived are highly unlikely to perform at their best. Whether seven, eight or nine hours of sleep each night is the ideal number remains unclear, but a small number of college basketball players who increased their sleep time registered gains in speed and free-throw shooting percentage. Sports science has advanced in areas such as nutrition and training in the first decade of the 21st century. Sleep research is one of the areas of intense interest, as of 2011.
Sleep Deprivation
There seems little doubt that sleep deprivation will affect your performance on the court or playing field. Sleep deprivation can result in a variety of detrimental symptoms, including drowsiness, hallucinations, paranoia, mood changes and lowered physical ability, according to BuiltFit. In addition, researchers find that sleep debt -- a shortage of the ideal amount of sleep -- also negatively affects performance.
Sleep Debt
When you miss hours of sleep on a regular basis, they pile up and produce sleep debt even when you begin sleeping regular hours again. Stanford University psychiatry professor William Dement told "Psychiatric News" that people who sleep until they are "slept out" find their mood, energy level and sense of well-being elevated. "Athletes who obtain all the sleep they need might have a 'secret advantage' over their competition," Dement said. Even sleeping just a bit longer on a nightly basis can measurably improve performance within a few weeks. Three NBA teams eliminated early-morning practices after realizing their players weren't getting enough sleep to function at their best.
The Right Amount
There are some people who can function well on just a few hours of sleep a night, but most require more. Some experts peg the number at seven to nine hours a night and others say eight hours is optimal. The right number for each individual will vary, but athletes who sleep just seven hours a night might be compromising their ability.
Considerations
Naps are generally favored by sports scientists. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that naps as short as 10 minutes helped people recuperate from sleep debt. Sleep research on athletic performance is relevant for nonathletes as well. If you want to be at your best, either on the playing field or in the office, going to bed and getting up every day at the same time will enhance your ability to sleep as long as you need.
