Sleep , Performance, and Weight Loss

Sleep, Performance, and Weight Loss

Meta Analysis by Andrea Zerbe, CSCS

01/31/23

Everybody knows how important a good night's rest is. We have all woken up from a restless night of sleep crabby and ill prepared for the day. But, is it just a one crappy-day affliction? How much does your sleep affect your performance and overall health in the long term? The answer is, a lot.

Sleep is necessary for the body's natural recovery process and is hugely important for injury prevention in athletes. Not only is sleep important for injury prevention and performance, but sleep is also important for overall health. Humans who do not get enough sleep each night increase their risk of, “weight gain and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, depression, and increased risk of death … impaired immune function, increased pain, impaired performance, increased errors, and greater risk of accidents” (1).

So how much sleep should I be getting?

It is now recommended that adults get 7 or more hours of sleep every night according to the national institute of health. 

Can I sleep too much?

Sleeping for more than 9 hrs has not been associated with any adverse health effects and could be appropriate for some people.

Can I rack up a sleep debt?

You sure can. Chronic sleep deprivation, or less than 7 hrs per night, can cause you to rack up and sleep debt that can be hard or impossible to pay off. 

What about children?

It is recommended that children get anywhere from 8-13 hours of sleep depending on age group.

Is it different for athletes?

There are no recommendations for how much athletes need to sleep. While there are no recommendations for athletes specifically, there is a lot of speculation it's more than the average adult. If you're curious, below is a chart of how much some of the world's greatest athletes sleep each night.

Clearly, sleep is hugely important for day to day functioning, and imperative for athletes looking to perform at their best. If you're struggling at a plateau in performance or weight management, maybe it's time to look at your sleeping habits. 

1.  Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, Dinges DF, Gangwisch J, Grandner MA, Kushida C, Malhotra RK, Martin JL, Patel SR, Quan SF, Tasali E. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843-4. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4716. PMID: 26039963; PMCID: PMC4434546.