Sleep is one of the most overlooked variables when it comes to behaviours and that can effect our risk of injury, pain perception and rate of healing.
Here you can see how the likelihood of injury based on how many hours of sleep decreases significantly once you reach ~8hr per night.
Sleep isn’t just injury preventing, it also has an impact on how quickly we heal once we are injured. As sleep deprivation is widely known as a stressor, it contributes to delayed recovery. The research suggests that wounds heal 24-40% faster when high stress levels are reduced.
Recent studies suggest sleep deprevation can contribute to the development and persistence of chronic pain, and decrease our pain threshold.
These 3 factors are important for anyone seeking treatment for a musculoskeletal condition. Here are some simple tips that can help improve your sleep quality and quantity.
1. Aim for between 7.5-9hrssleep per night; supplement with naps during the day if less than 7hrs.
2. Sleep in a cool and dark room.
3. Limit technology use 1hr prior to bedtime.
4. Reduce caffeine intake late in the afternoon.
Zab Azulay is a Physiotherapist at Kingsford and Kings Cross clinics. To make a booking call 02 8354 1534
Refs:
1. Milewski et al. Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes. J Pediatr Orthop 2014.
2. Alford L. Findings of interest from immunology and psychoneuroimmunology. Man Ther 2007.
3. Finan PH. The association of sleep and pain: an update and a path forward. J Pain 2013.
4. Simpson et al. Optimizing sleep to maximise performance: implications and recommendations for elite athletes. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2016.
