Why Sleep and Physical Exercise are a Great Combination

Photo by Tamar Waskey on Unsplash

In this third part of the series on benefits of Sleep, let’s understand why your physical regime will give you better results when you combine it with Sleep medicine. (Links to first two parts are given at the end.)

References: “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, “Sleep Smarter” by Shawn Stevenson and “The Sleep Revolution” by Ariana Huffington.

Numerous studies have shown that sleep can improve athletic performance across sports and ages. So much so that, in 2015, the International Olympic Committee published a statement highlighting the critical importance of, and essential need for, sleep in athletic development across all sports for men and women.

Obtain anything less than eight hours of sleep a night, and especially less than six hours a night, and the following happens to your physical regime:

• time to physical exhaustion drops by 10 to 30 percent,
• aerobic output significantly reduce,
• decrease in muscle strength,
• impairment in cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory capabilities,
• faster rates of lactic acid buildup,
• reduction in blood oxygen saturation,
• reduction in ability of the body to cool itself during physical…