As a student and an athlete, your health should be at an optimum level in order for you to perform well in school. There are many challenges that you will be facing as a student, and these will not be easy to overcome if you’re not at your best as far as your well-being is concerned. Aside from adopting a healthy lifestyle, you should also allow your body to have enough rest. Getting the maximum amount of sleep every night is essential in recharging your body and getting yourself ready for the next day.
Imagine if you lack sleep — you will feel lethargic and be unable to do your tasks. As a student, you need to be alert and active, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to have enough sleep. One effective way of getting great sleep is through a good mattress; luckily, there are tons of physical and online stores offering dozens of options.
In what ways is sleep essential for athletic and academic success? These are the following:
1. Sleep Helps Repair An Injury
It is essential that the body undergoes repair, especially after a vigorous activity. Athletes, in particular, are prone to injuries due to the physical demands of sports. Sleep is essential for injuries because cells repair and renew themselves during sleep. It is essential for athletes to get at least eight hours of sleep, which is the time needed for cells to renew themselves.
2. Sleep Helps With Mental Fitness
Fulfilling your obligations as a student or as a student-athlete requires your mental health to be at an optimum level. You need to be psychologically fit in order for you to do your tasks effortlessly. If you do not get enough sleep, you are likely to become more irritable and anxious. Also, you tend to have more trouble absorbing information when you are sleep deprived. Thus, it is essential that you get enough sleep to keep yourself focused on your studies.
Also, having a healthy mind puts you in a better mood, which helps you socialize with your peers all the better and improve your relationships with other people at school.
3. Sleep Builds Muscles
For adolescents, sleep helps with physical growth. Adolescents can build more muscle strength if they get enough sleep. A growth hormone is also released during sleep, which aids in the body’s recovery and development. Lack of sleep can be detrimental to your overall health. There will also be a higher chance of you experiencing decreased muscle growth and strength.
4. Sleep Helps You Memorize Better
You need to have enough sleep so your mind can effectively process the lessons and studies you’ve had throughout the day. Deep sleep is important in relaxing the mind and in processing all the information it absorbs. The better sleep you have, the more effective the brain is in processing information. You should have enough rest and sleep, especially during examinations, to help you recall information better and to keep you from having memory loss.
5. Sleep Helps You Practice Better
Coaches know the importance of sleep. Some of them do make it a habit to skip the morning practice so that athletes can sleep longer. Having more sleep results in better practice performance. Even professional players know about the importance of an extra hour of sleep in ensuring that they’re able to perform at their best during practice sessions. Some other benefits of adequate sleep are reaction time and a higher level of endurance.
6. Sleep Maintains Your Circadian Clock
Your circadian clock dictates the biological processes of your body. It is heavily influenced by the amount of sleep you get. You should be able to sleep at the proper time so your circadian clock will always be on time and functioning well. If you have an erratic sleep schedule, chances are you will also have an erratic waking schedule. If you do not wake up on time, you are most likely to be late for your classes. And, even if you do wake up on time, you will feel lethargic and low on energy because your body thinks that it is still time for sleep.
Final Thoughts
Sleep is essential to enable the body to function at its best. Especially for students, sleep is vital in keeping them active and focused, and in helping their minds effectively absorb all the lessons they’ve had throughout the day. For student-athletes, they need to be at their peak, both mentally and physically, so they can perform better during practice sessions. And, this can only be possible with enough sleep.
