Tossing And Turning: Runners And Sleeping Issues
- By Jeff Gaudette
- Published Apr. 30, 2012
- Updated Feb. 22, 2013 at 11:06 AM UTC
Sleep The Night Before A Race
Finally, another major issue for runners who suffer from insomnia is stressing about not sleeping, especially before races. This is obviously a vicious cycle, so it’s important to try and relax about your sleep issues as much as possible.
Research has shown that sleep loss ranging from 16-24 hours does not impair performance during aerobic and anaerobic events. The adrenaline rush of competition appears to override any negative physical consequences of sleep deprivation. Therefore, if you miss several hours of sleep for a night or two before your race, your performance is not likely to be impacted unless you are particularly susceptible to sleep deprivation.
Do you suffer from insomnia or other sleeping issues? Share your experiences and any effective strategies you have for overcoming sleeping trouble in the comments below.
FILED UNDER: Training TAGS: caffeine consumption / Cortisol levels / insomnia / Overtraining / Recovery / Sleep
Jeff Gaudette
Jeff has been running for 13 years, at all levels of the sport. He was a two time Division-I All-American in Cross Country while at Brown University and competed professionally for 4 years after college for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project. Jeff's writing has been featured in Running Times magazine, Endurance Magazine, as well as numerous local magazine fitness columns.