The importance of enough sleep for athletes cannot be stressed enough. Training sessions, like the online hockey training program at HockeyOT.com, can be very tiresome, and enough sleep is required so that by the next day, your body will have rested enough and will be ready to handle more training sessions.

Unless hockey is your career, you may not have the opportunity to plan your workouts for optimal times each day.  For instance, there are plenty of amateur athletes who are also students, and they spend many hours during the school week training. If you are one of those people, you should make sure that you have enough sleep.

Proper Sleep is Important for an Athlete

There is no doubt that getting an adequate amount of rest can help reduce stress, fatigue, depression and frustration; however, an adequate number of hours spent sleeping can also improve many aspects of an athlete’s training and performance. For example, the following benefits can result from simply adding a little more sleep time to your busy schedule:

• Reaction time
• Speed
• Endurance
• Confidence
• Critical thinking

Other Benefits for a Well-Rested Athlete

In addition to providing a boost when it comes to performance, the athlete who is getting adequate sleep can benefit from a number of other important factors. For example, injuries are far less common when an athlete is at the top of their game. Getting adequate rest can help improve game performance, but it can also help ensure critical timing and function, both on and off the ice. Of course, a well-rested athlete will also be able to heal faster from an injury and will recover faster from daily workouts.

How Much Sleep is Necessary?

Everyone has their own specific requirements, but generally speaking, teenagers and young adults will often need 9 or more hours of sleep per night; adults, 7 to 8 hours. It is important to try to maintain one’s daily rest requirements and not rely on weekends or holidays to try to compensate for a sleep deficit. Proper rest each day not only helps the athlete perform better, but it allows their body to recover from training sessions and stay healthy and strong.

How to Get the Sleep You Need

Finding time to fit in school, practice, social time, games, homework and the numerous other daily responsibilities can leave young athletes feeling like there is no time for sleep. In fact, many athletes find it hard to unwind and fall asleep, even after a long day.

One of the best ways to try to remedy a sleeping problem is to set a specific bedtime schedule and adhere to it. Going to sleep at the same time each night can greatly aid in helping the athlete fall asleep faster. Additionally, turn off radios, televisions and other outside stimuli. Keep the room dark and quiet and let your body adjust to your new sleep routine.

If you are hungry at night after dinner, choose small amounts of protein-rich foods to curb your appetite. Protein foods are good at restoring muscle tissue and seem to have a calming effect on the body. A good choice of protein that is easy to digest is a protein drink made with water and Vega. One scoop of Vega powder in a glass of water will satisfy your hunger without filling up your stomach too much so that you can get some much needed rest.

Start getting enough sleep and watch how your on and off-ice performance results improve.