Ah, sleep. The one thing that we know reaps enormous benefits, but so often gets neglected. We are always well-intentioned with sleep, but sometimes you just HAVE to watch the next episode of the TV show you’re watching that just left you on a cliffhanger (I’m talking to you Yellowstone). As the saying goes, “abs are made in the kitchen”. When we think of physical therapy we should be thinking “great sleep leads to great recovery”. How is sleep helpful in our recovery?
-Sleep helps us restore systemically (whole bodily)
When we sleep, this allows our body to restock the things that help keep our immune system functioning at a high level. This allows our body to prevent infections and fight malignancies. Sleep also improves our metabolic state (by increasing insulin sensitivity) which can help keep us at a healthy, manageable weight. Lastly, sleep aids cardiovascular health by decreasing blood pressure if it’s a bit on the higher side.
-Refreshes our ability to learn, make memories, and logical choices
Being able to learn and make memories are crucial in all aspects of life, with physical therapy being no different! When you come to PT it is helpful to be well rested. Although we may be treating orthopedic issues, we are teaching the body to move in ways it may be unfamiliar with. This requires our attention during PT and being able to consolidate what we learned into memories. This means striving for another great night of sleep. A sleep sandwich if you will.
-Recalibrates our emotional brain circuitry
Even if you’re not in PT, please sleep well for the sake of others around you! Sleeping well gives us the opportunity to recharge to allow us to face the social and psychological challenges life brings us. From a PT perspective, we often work with patients and their emotions toward their impairments. Pain, the main reason people seek PT can be a very emotional experience. This is especially true if pain has persisted for long periods of time. Sleeping well can give us the strength to fight overwhelming emotions toward injury.
-Helps decrease risk of injury in sport and physical activity
According to a study by Mikewski et al., there is a correlation with increased risk of injury and chronic lack of sleep in injuries of adolescent athletes. In looking at the graph below, those who slept six hours had a high (75%) incidence of a sport-related injury. As the amount of time spent sleeping increased to nine hours, the injury-risk incidence reduced nearly four times to 18%. By no stretch of the imagination, under sleeping may certainly have implications on adult sport performance and exercise. It’s important to note, that whenever you step onto a court or field, the risk of injury is always there. Sleeping greatly reduces this risk.
Graph courtesy of https://sequencewiz.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sleep-loss-and-injury.png
-Sleep after sports performance/ exercise can help regenerate
Sleeping well after intense exercise or sports performance can help greatly with recovery. While sleeping, the body is able to accelerate our ability to decrease inflammation associated with intense activity. Stimulation to repair muscles occurs as well as replenishing our cellular energy stores of glucose and glycogen. Having these stores in vast quantities help us optimally function every day.
At this point I think the question shouldn’t be “why should we sleep more?” and instead by “what are the costs (short and long-term) of not sleeping enough?”.
Brandon Drinan PT, DPT, CSCS is a physical therapist and strength coach located in Portland, ME. Brandon started his career as a coach who struggled with helping clients reach their goals due to various orthopedic impairments. This led Brandon to graduate school where he obtained his Doctorate of Physical Therapy. While working in a traditional physical therapy clinic, he noted that there was a significant gap between the end of rehabilitation and the return to fitness. This led Brandon to create a comprehensive service under the name ADAPT Training and Performance (ATP) where he follows his physical therapy patients and helps transition them into a gym setting. The service appreciates all aspects of the human being including training, nutrition, prevention/self-management, stress management, and education.
The Break Room 
