In the past two weeks I have highlighted the importance of sleep as a major factor in improved performance. Today’s article is the final part of this series.

Sleep and its benefits for performance was analysed in some detail citing also some important studies and subsequent results in this regard. The problem of general lack of sleep and its resultant effects (both short term and also other health problems) were also looked at.

The quality of sleep at its different stages was subsequently discussed and then the articles dealt with how nutrition can affect sleep.

As promised in last week’s conclusion, I will conclude this series on the effect of sleep on athletic performance by highlighting some important factors that will help to create an optimal sleeping environment.

After doing research and reading books as well as surfing the net on the subject, one can easily list down a very long list of important factors that affect sleep.

I will try to list the main factors although this list is a highly subjective one and one could easily add more to it.

From personal experience (although many may live with it quite easily), one should avoid caffeine-containing drinks after late afternoon as they can increase the time taken to fall asleep at bedtime.

There are some who advocate the use of alcohol to fall asleep. I tend to agree with those who advise that one should avoid alcohol close before bedtime. Alcohol may truly help you to fall asleep but it can lead to disturbed sleep later in the night.

A very late dinner may also affect sleep. Experts advocate that one should not eat a large meal before retiring for the night. By the same token, experts tell us not to go to bed hungry, especially if you have trained that evening as you may awaken later in the night with hunger pangs.

The bed itself may also contribute to a restful sleep and, in this context, experts say that one should strive to have the bed as comfortable as possible. It is not a bad idea to experiment with mattresses and pillows to increase sleeping comfort. Since, according to research, humans shift their body position between 40-60 times per night, we need to have a good mattress and pillow, as well as plenty of room to move and shift ourselves about.

Apart from that one should also see that the bedroom is well ventilated, quiet and cool (in the sense that if a room is too hot or too cold it can increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and the number of sleep disruptions throughout the night).

Nutrition wise, I came across some studies that state that if you are suffering from sleep problems, then you should try to increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods (like for example beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, wholegrain breads/cereals and green leafy vegetables). If there is some problem, magnesium supplements may be also useful. The reason here is that magnesium, in doses of approximately 250 milligrams, can help induce sleep. Magnesium deficiency is responsible for nervousness that prevents sleep.

Magnesium is not the only important mineral/vitamin. In fact experts also say that calcium, especially when contained in food, has a sedative effect on the body. A calcium deficiency in the body causes restlessness and wakefulness.

The lack of calcium and magnesium can cause leg cramps during the night. Calcium and magnesium produce calming effects on the brain. They are essential for normal sleep. Calcium and magnesium taken 45 minutes before bedtime have a tranquilising effect.

The B vitamins are known to have a sedative effect on the nerves. Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are other important supplement for treating and preventing insomnia whilst vitamin B5 is good for relieving stress. The best food sources of the B vitamins are liver, whole grains, wheat germ, tuna, walnuts, peanuts, bananas and sunflower seeds.

Another mineral chromium is often effective for someone with a blood sugar problem that is keeping them awake at nights. Brewer’s yeast is a good source of Chromium.

Tryptophan, which is another nutrient, has a major impact on sleep. In fact tryptophan is one of the essential amino acid building blocks of protein and is used directly to synthesise the brain neurotransmitter serotonin and the sleep hormone melatonin. Studies have concluded that tryptophan is so effective at raising the levels of these hormones that it was used as an effective hypnotic for many years.

One could go on and list various other factors yet this article needs to be concluded and thus it is time to apply all tat was mentioned and biol everything down to a good sleep pattern.

From the outset you need to identify and obtain the amount of sleep you need. The amount of sleep required obviously varies considerably from person to person and there is no fixed standard and/or level.

Experts believe that we need to keep a regular sleep schedule. It is also important to establish a consistent sleep pattern. Studies have shown that merely changing your schedule for more than two days or sleeping more than an hour longer on weekends disrupts your body’s biological clock.

As I also concluded last week, I guess many, including myself, at times tend to struggle to balance the pressures of work and/or study with a sports career and feel that 24 hours in a day are not enough to fit everything in. What happens then is that sleep will usually be the first to suffer and if this tendency is kept for some weeks, then we start to feel burnt out or even lack motivation and thus struggle to keep our form on the field of play. In this scenario, maybe one should try to get an extra hour’s sleep every night for two weeks and see how performance eventually and hopefully improves.