This research paper explores the subject of sleeping disorders, their causes, treatment if any, effects, as well as how they affect a professional athlete. Inorder to cover the above issues explicitly the paper has been divided into four main parts namely: Introduction, Types of Sleep Disorders, General Effects and Effects of Sleep Disorders on a professional athlete, and the conclusion.
In the introduction part the paper provides an overview of sleep and sleep disorders. This part describes sleep and also sleeping disorders. Under types of sleep disorders’ section, the paper describes some common occurring sleep disorders, their causes/effects as well as treatment or control measures available. This section also gives special attention to cancer patients suffering from sleep disorders, their diagnosis and treatment.
The effects section deals with general effects of sleep disorders as to the patient and the society at large. This section is further narrowed to how these disorders affect a professional athlete. The last part, the conclusion, attempts to summarize the findings contained in this paper in one paragraph.
Introduction
Sleep should not be construed to be ‘time out’ from the day’s activities. However, it is an active event significant for revitalizing one’s mental as well as physical health each day. Therefore, it is an essential aspect of life just as food, air and water are.
The significance of sleep did not even escape the attention of writers such as Shakespeare when he described it as ‘Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, and chief nourisher in life’s feast’. Until 1930’s sleep was a mysterious occurrence to the world of scientists (Coleman, 1986). Moreover, the subject of sleep gained recognition after this period with scientists employing the use of electroencephalogram (EEF) to measure the brain’s electrical activity in sleeping subjects (Coleman, 1986). This was done through observing amplitude of activity in the brain of a sleeping subject. It was then that a breakthrough was availed depicting these biological tempos naturally to fall into different states, stages as well as cycles. This led to the conclusion that instead of being a quite and peaceful period of rest and resuscitation as everyone would be tempted to construe of it, sleep is in deed an intricate as well as an active kind of activity. While one is asleep a number of biochemical, physiological in addition to psychological events are seen to be continuously taking place (Dement, 1992).
Sleep consists of distinct phases: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep phase and NREM (Non-REM) sleep phase. Dreaming takes place during the REM sleep which is considered to be the phase involving brain activity. NREM is the quiet, restful phase of sleep (Coleman, 1986).
Sleep is a cyclic trend with alternating periods of REM and NREM. REM period occurs 4 to 5 times during the night accounting for 25% of the total nights’ sleep (Dement, 1992). Failure to get the necessary sleep needed by a person leads to a build up of sleep debt. So if one loses 1 hour’s sleep daily, by the end of the week he will have a 7 hour sleep debt (Dement, 1976). Sleep debt can be due to failure to have enough time to get to sleep or due to sleep disorder.
There is no clearly defined time, as to the number of hours a normal adult should sleep, however, most adults sleep between 7 to 8 hours a day (Dement, 1976). A ‘natural short’ sleeper who sleeps an average of 3 to 4 hours is seen to do poorly upon exceeding this number of hours. Conversely, a long sleeper needs more than 10 hours while, a variable sleeper requires more sleep during stress inducing instances and less sleep during peaceful times (Ancoli, 1996). The capacity to sleep soundly as well as constantly is also determined by changes in age. Thus, while an infant can sleep for 15 hours a day, a teenager can sleep deeply 9 to 10 hours whilst a grown up person can sleep 5 to 6 hours at night on top of day time naps. As one’s age advances he may take to shorter days sleep while others switch to long day sleep (Dement, 1976). This shift can be attributed to normal conditions of aging or alterations in daily life patterns, retirement or moreover due to the person’s change in physical or mental health (Ancoli, 1996).
A person’s sleep is fundamentally aided by being exhausted at bed time in addition to adhering to one’s own internal clock. Thus sleep can appear to be difficult or less gratifying if it occurs at a time when the biological clock reads “its time to be awake” (Dement, 1976).
Sleep Disorder
A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is generally a medical disorder that interferes with a person’s sleep pattern (or an animal). Some of these known sleep disorders are so serious that they manipulate the normal physical, mental in addition to emotional functioning (Coleman, 1986). Sleep disorders affect almost anyone in any given age group. Thus infants, young people as well as adults are vulnerable to sleep disorders hence a common problem among people all over the world.
Practically, everyone has experienced lack of sleep at one given time or another. To some people poor sleep on regular basis is an order of the day due to medical disorders. These disorders bring about problems in falling asleep and staying asleep, problems in sleep continuity, or staying within regular sleep/wake cycle, problems of walking while asleep, and nightmares among others that are known to interfere with sleep (Coleman, 1986).
Sleep disorders are broadly classified into two main types, parasomnia and dyssomnia (Coleman, 1986). Dyssomnias are primarily sleep disorders having chronic disturbance in the quantity as well as quality of sleep leading to abnormality in a person’s functioning capability. A patient suffering from these types of disorders experiences changes in the amount of restfulness in addition to timing of sleep. This category of disorders include primary insomnia, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, breath related sleep disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorder and restless leg syndrome among others (Coleman, 1986).
Parasomnias which constitute the secondary category encompass those disorders in which people suffer physical events while asleep. Patients of parasomnias have abnormal behavior in association with sleep, sleep stages or sleep cycles. Notably, this category includes ailments such as nightmare disorders, sleep terror disorders, sleep walking disorders and parasomnia Nos (Fritz, 1993).
Types of sleep disorders
Now having dealt with the two broad categories, we can embark on specific ailments especially the main ones. Some texts classify hypesomnia separately in which case it is described to be a condition flanked by excessive sleeping during normal working hours. A suffer of this disorder normally has long day time sleep or daily daytime sleep even though the person has had normal sleep at night (Fritz, 1993). A person having regular day sleep of more than 10 hours can be said to be suffering from hypersomnia. Patients of this disorder portray difficult in waking up in the morning and in most cases he seems to be sad and bewildered (Fritz, 1993).
Some studies have shown that 5-10% of the patients found in sleep disorder clinics suffer from this disorder (Fritz, 1993). Some of the factors known to lead to this condition include being overweight, excessive drug and alcohol abuse, genetics, physical problems such as knee injury or tumor, fibromyalgia as well as clinical depression among others.
Sleep apnea is a serious, life threatening condition that calls upon quick medical attention. Patients of this disorder normally suffer breathing bouts of 10 to 30 seconds while asleep (Fritz, 1993). Studies show that these patients can undergo such breathing stops 400 times a night (Fritz, 1993). A person suffering from sleep apnea has high vulnerability of other diseases associated with respiration or blood circulation such as heart disease or stroke.
Sleep apnea appears in two forms viz central and obstructive. Interruption of breathing through lack of effort is central (focal) to central sleep apnea while the obstructive apnea happens in circumstances of actual physical blockage to the airflow. Panting or loud snoring is associated with obstructive apnea sleep disorder. Some of the known treatments of this disorder include, change of lifestyle for instance avoiding alcohol in addition to medications known to soothe the central nervous system (Coleman, 1986). Being overweight has been associated with this type of disorder which has been found to appear twice as common in men as in women. Symptoms of this disorder vary across gender boundaries. The level of air closure in obstructive apnea is subject to changes in body and head position, sleep state as well as muscular tone (liaison pertaining to the muscles and nerves) (Coleman, 1986).
A person’s history offers a clear basis of diagnosing the disorder in addition to testing to help confirm the disorder. A person can also be examined physically. Some of the physical indicants of this disorder are long and wide soft palate, a large swollen uvula, large tonsil as well as excess tissue in air path walls. In the lower throat, enlarged tongue and tonsils are likely to be discovered (Fritz, 1993).
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a genetic disorder affecting mostly the elderly. It is characterized by obnoxious sensations in the leg leading to overpowering urge to move the legs so as to acquire some relieve (Regestein et al, 1980). This urge increases in the evening and at rest, preventing sleep. While symptoms become more serious as one advance his/her age, â…“ of people portraying this disorder have been found to have had symptoms since early days (Regestein et al, 1980). The patient is prevented from falling asleep until the wee hours, when the condition is less severe.
Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that impedes the ability of the central nervous system to control or regulate the sleeping pattern. Narcolepsy is known to cause over-prolonged and serious daytime sleepiness occurring outside designated time and places, even after one has had adequate night time sleep (Regestein et al, 1980). Narcoleptics sometimes they experience cataplexy (loss of muscle control) that are normally short lived. Serious narcolepsy (chronic) can lead to sleep paralysis in certain circumstances. Other symptoms of narcolepsy include hallucination and other rare successive occurrences (Regestein et al, 1980).
While narcolepsy is typically a genetic disorder, it is also associated with brain damage or neurological disorder/disease. Narcoleptics, more often than not report, weariness on daily basis in addition to experiencing several attacks as in pregnant women, illness, fever, or stressful periods. Counseling, behavioral therapies and medications for relaxations are some of the treatments accorded to narcoleptics. This condition is prevalent among people aged 15 and 30 (Fritz, 1993).
People with this type of disorder present a serious safety hazard not only to themselves but also that of others especially when they drive. For instance consider a narcoleptic person dozing off while waiting for traffic signal to change or being unable to recollect how he arrived at a certain destination. Prevalence rates show that 1 out of 500 drivers suffer from this condition (Regestein et al, 1980). Thus this narcolepsy is seen to offer great challenges to traffic safety as many drivers tragically end without having been diagnosed. However, diagnosed patients who appreciate their symptoms are seen to be cautious while driving. Diagnosed patients’ driving capacity can be coordinated via use of medication.
Dissomnia is one of the most occurring sleep disorders. It occurs when there is incidence of distraction in the body’s natural state of relaxing (Bell, 1979). It is usually caused by external unfavorable environmental factors such as too much lightning and noise.
Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or remain in sleep for a longer period of time (Bell, 1979). Patients of insomnia feel tired most of the time and appear to be apprehensive about not getting enough sleep. Anxiety and depression are among the major causes of insomnia in addition to diet (caffeine or alcohol consumption) and emotional difficulties. Men are less prone to insomnia than women (Bell, 1979).
Whereas behavioral therapies and good sleep hygiene offer good treatment for this disorder, melatonins are also prescribed for the treatment. It is important to note that insomnia can be transient (lasting few days), short term (lasting few weeks) or long term (lasting indefinitely). Stress as in jet travel, exam fever, hospitalization and so forth is considered to be source of transient insomnia, while short term insomnia can be triggered by anxiety, nervousness as well as physical and mental tension. Such circumstances include death of loved ones, marital problems, divorce, and concern about health among many others (Bell, 1979).
Long lasting insomnia can be as a result of environmental impacts such as residing near an airport or noisy street (Bell, 1979). However, long term insomnia arises due to medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy, ulcers among others. Excessive drug or alcohol use is also associated with long term impaired sleep. It is important to understand that long term sleep problem can be due to other directly sleep related medical disorders/ diseases such as sleep apnea, nocturnal myoclonus. Psychological conditions such as schizophrenia or depression can trigger long term insomnia (Ancoli, 1996).
While insomnia is not a simple problem, treatment should start with assessing and correcting sleep hygiene and patterns. Regular exercises in the evening have beneficial effects on sleep. However, cumbersome exercises, just before sleep is known to cause arousal hence delaying sleep.
While sleep cannot be forced one should not go to sleep unless he is sleepy. If one finds it difficult to get sleep, even though he was sleepy it is advisable that he gets out of bed and do something constructive like sewing or watching TV (Fritz, 1993).
With naps, various studies have revealed that daytime naps interfere with normal night time sleep. Therefore it is in not advisable for one to nap during the day as a substitute for poor night sleep. However, there is limitation to this rule as old people sleep well at night upon taking daytime naps. Nappers who experience poor sleep at night time can do better upon skipping their naps (Coleman, 198).
Where one fails to get sleep due to hunger it is advisable that he/she should take snacks unless the same causes digestion problems. A person should also try to avoid heavy meals, alcohol and caffeine containing coffee as well as tea and cola. Nicotine is also associated with sleep interference as it stimulates the nervous system. Studies have shown that smokers experience great difficulties than non-smokers (Bell, 1979). Sleep patterns of chronic smokers have been shown to improve upon abstaining from smoking. On the aspect of alcohol, whereas it is known to induce sleep, the sleep might be a disjointed one with the sleeper waking up after the relaxing consequence fades (Regestein et al, 1980).
A regular sleeping schedule is considered to offer better sleep. This is achieved through going to sleep at about the same time and only when one is tired, with regular awakenings. A person should not oversleep merely because he had poor sleep at night (Regestein et al, 1980). Upon awakening before the time to rise it is advisable that one should get out of bed and start his day. Whereas many insomniacs are known to stay in bed for long and get up too late in the morning nevertheless through establishing regular wakeup time assists in solidifying the biological rhythms that develop one’s peak effectiveness during the 24 hour day (Regestein et al, 1980).
Sleeping pills as temporary solution
It is evident that practitioners of the medical profession are unwilling to prescribe sleep promoting pills, thus some people acquire them across the counter. These include daytime sedatives, antihistamines and tranquilizers among others. It is significant idea that a person should seek physician’s advice prior to utilizing these drugs, since their misuse or abuse can pose great danger (Ancoli, 1996).
Sleeping medications are however supposed to be taken for the shortest period possible as well as in the smallest effective dosage. Prescribed sleeping pills being hypnotics should be taken cautiously. Generally speaking prescribed sleeping pills depress the central nervous system allowing the user to sleep hence their misuse can be dangerous (Ancoli, 1996).
Sleeping pills if taken under guidance of a physician and in the right dose can help one to sleep better (Regestein et al, 1980). However insomnia disorder cannot be corrected through use of pills. Hence sleep promoting drugs should only be prescribed in circumstances where a person’s health, safety, as well as well being are at risk and only upon satisfaction in the person’s medical history and upon a thorough physical examination. While sleep promoting pills offer a temporary solution they can also present sleeping problems, side effects, hangovers as well as drug dependence (Regestein et al, 1980). Sleeping disorders are known to resurface once a person terminates the use of the sleep enhancing pills. Hence it is advisable that one should avoid long term use of sleep enhancing pills.
Similarly these pills if taken in combination with alcohol or other drug they pose eminent danger to the user (fatal). Driving or machine handling while under these pills is dangerous. Some pills effectiveness take a day or several days to wear out, thus such types impair driving capability the day after being taken. It is advisable for sleeping pill users not to take alcohol for a number of days (Ancoli, 1996).
Sleeping pills are largely utilized by the elderly due to their sleep dissatisfaction. While people aged over 60 years constitute about 14% of the population, 20 to 45 percent of sleeping pills are known to be consumed by them (Regestein et al, 1980).
The occurrence of toxic drug reaction in the elderly is considered to be prevalent as compared to the young. Therefore use of sleeping pills in combination with other pills among the elderly poses a great danger due to changes in bodily functions that go hand in hand with aging. There is slow absorption as well as excretion of drugs by the elderly calling upon them to take the smallest effective doses (Ancoli, 1996). In circumstances of sensitive nervous systems, combining drugs can have serious effects among them.
The elderly should first consult a physician before indulging into sleep promoting pills since their use has negative effects upon them. Such effects include feeling groggy, appearing forgetful as well as senile among others. It is important to address the underlying cause of the sleep problem facing the old person first, before administering pills (Fritz, 1993).
Last but not the least on pills is that they can be harmful to the unborn infant hence pregnant women or those intending to become pregnant should always seek the help of a physician prior to resorting to sleep inducing pills (Fritz, 1993).
Other sleeping disorders include cataplexy which is a kind of muscle failure or paralysis. With narcoleptic patients it can be triggered by tiredness as well as severe emotions. Incidents of laughter or anger are known to accompany this disorder (Fritz, 1993). Occurrence of cataplexy can make a standing person to fall down. A person experiencing bouts of cataplexy may be unable to move or speak while still being conscious and partially aware of what is happening in the immediate surrounding. Narcolepsy/cataplexy is associated with central nervous defect (Fritz, 1993). This disorder has no known cure. However, upon proper diagnosis it can be managed with drugs.
Somnambulism or sleep walking is another sleeping disorder commonly found in children aged between 5 and 12 (Ancoli, 1996). Typically sleep walkers sit up, gets out of bed and moves about aimlessly. A sleep walker can also dress, open door and walk out, normally avoiding obstacles. Nevertheless, sleep walkers’ safety is not guaranteed since they can stumble and hurt themselves upon stationary objects.
While the disorder is associated with personal disturbance in adults, in children, it is believed to be influenced by psychological factors. It is only advisable that caretakers of sleep walkers make sure that doors and windows are locked and that they sleep far away from potentially harmful objects (Carlson, 2000).
Hypnagogic hallucination is a sleep disorder associated with pre sleep dreams. This disorder (a dream-like hallucination) takes place in the transition between being awake and being asleep. More often than not the dreams are very horrifying or frightening (Carlson, 2000).
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a condition that is associated with involuntary leg twitching or jerking movements that take place while one is asleep (Carlson, 2000). Four fifths of people with restless legs syndrome are also known to experience PLMD. Unlike in RLS, in PLMD, the movement is involuntary. While people with RLS are known to develop PLMD, majority of people with PLMD do not experience RLS (Carlson, 2000).
Bad sleep habits or inadequate sleep hygiene is a sleep disorder brought about by undertaking daily activities that are incoherent with maintaining sound sleep. They encompass performances that keep a person awake in addition to practices which affect a person’s sleeping schedule (Carlson, 2000).
Jet lag is a disorder associated with air travel across time zones. Its symptoms include fatigue and insomnia among others, and are usually temporary. Normally, a person experiencing jet lag takes a few days to adjust to a different time zone. Shift workers are also known to suffer from jet lag. Women are more vulnerable to jet lags as opposed to men. To avoid jet lag a person should sleep and wake in accordance with destination time zones (Lavie, 1996). Exposure to sunlight, exercises, and sufficient liquid intake is known to offer a good riddance to jet lag.
Proposed disorders are sleep disorders related to rest and normally due to reasons such as long hours of working or shift duties, a person may not sleep adequately. It is a disorder if the period of sleeping becomes unusual (Lavie, 1996).
REM sleep behavior disorder is interference in the brain functioning during REM sleep (dream phase of sleep) (Lavie, 1996). During REM, pons relays messages to the cerebral cortex (that part of the brain that undertakes the function of thinking as well as organizing information). Pons is also responsible for relaying signals to body muscles during REM orchestrating short lived paralysis.
A person suffering from this disorder has these signals interpreted as images that make up dreams. In the event that these signals are tampered with, a person can physically act out a dream. For instance, a person experiencing this type of disorder upon dreaming about running, she/he can in actual fact get up and run (Lavie, 1996). People suffering from this disorder risk injuring themselves or others. However, REM sleep disorder is not a common ailment.
Bed wetting is a sleep disorder prevalent among the children. Studies have shown the disorder to be neither due to emotional nor psychological reasons. It is believed that only 1% of bedwetting is as a result of emotional source while only 5 to 17 percent of children aged between 3 and 5 wet their beds (Lavie, 1996). Whereas a bedwetting child may feel guilty and ashamed, it is considered that awaking the child, punishing the child or rewarding him/her to aggravate the matter.
Whereas the cause of this disorder has not been fully resolved, bladder infection, small bladder as well as physical problems are believed to be responsible (Lavie, 1996). Bedwetting advancing until one enters adolescent stage has been associated with emotional causes, while neurological diseases and diabetes are seen to have a hand in this disorder. A perpetual bed wetter should be referred to a physician. However, drugs as well as time away from home are advisable for a short time (Carlson, 2000).
As noted elsewhere the known sleep disorders are more than 80 hence describing each of them would leave one with no room to tackle other issues (Lavie, 1996). Nevertheless I have tried to analyze basically the main/major ones. Moreover other sleeping disorders include Bruxism (which is involuntary clenching of teeth while in sleep), Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) as well as Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome and hypopnea among many others (Carlson, 2000).
DSPS is a disorder characterized by failure to fall asleep or awaken at the acceptable time. On the other hand, hypopnea is characterized by shallow breathing or lower rate of respiration (Carlson, 2000).
Sleep disorder and cancer patients
Factors such as physical illness, pain, treatment drugs, being hospitalized for a long time as well as emotional stress can cause sleep disorders in cancer patients. Sleep disorders most prevalent among cancer patients include insomnias and disorders related to the sleep-wake cycle (Hauri & Shirley, 1990). The known tumor growth and cancer treatment effects, which can lead to disturbance in sleep, include anxiety or depression, pain and itching, fever, coughing or problem in breathing, fatigue, seizures, headaches, night sweats or hot flashes, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and incontinence among others (Hauri & Shirley, 1990).
Hospitalized cancer patients may have their sleep being interrupted because of treatment schedules, hospital procedures, as well as by roommates or by noise, temperature or the patient’s age. Hospitalized cancer patients with sleep disorders offers challenges leading to discontinuation of cancer therapy (Hauri & Shirley, 1990).
Diagnosing sleep disorder in cancer patients as in any other person requires the doctor to get the patient’s complete medical history as well as a physical examination. Information relating to the patient’s sleep history can accrue from the patient, patient’s family or friends or in other cases personal observations (Hauri & Shirley, 1990).
Instruments such as polysomnogram that notes brain waves, muscle tone, heart rate are also used to detect sleep disorder in cancer patients (Andreassi, 1995). Treatment of sleep disorders associated with cancer calls upon a doctor to forego the cancer, and effects of its treatment first.
So as to encourage rest, and treat sleep disorders affecting cancer patients, consideration of the following is crucial. Creating environment that decreases sleep interruptions, through lowering noise, lessening light intensity, adjusting room temperature, observing cleanliness, providing warmth in addition to encouraging the patient to wear light soft, loose clothing. It is also important that the patient maintains regular bowel and bladder habits to decrease sleep interruptions (Hauri & Shirley, 1990). Drugs are also used to help cancer patients with sleep disorders to manage them.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep disorders have effects not only to the sufferer but also to the general society’s well being. Sleep deprivation affects a person’s health via physical as well as mental impairments. Lack of enough rest destroys a person’s capacity to comprehend, think, manage stress, and manage a healthy immune system in addition to regulating his emotions. Total sleep deprivation has been proven to be fatal, indicating the significance of sleep in relation to a person’s health (Maisch, Podd, & Rapley 2002). The brain’s capacity to function drops with lack of enough sleep (rest). At this point it works hard to counter the effects caused by lack of enough sleep but only less effectively in functioning.
Impairment of the memory can prop up due to decrease in concentration levels. Conversely, problem solving capability of the brain is also impaired. This springs from the brain sinking into static thinking patterns offering no room for generation of novel ideas. Insufficient sleep is also associated with hallucinations (Carlson, 200).
The chances of a person contracting some type of sleep disorder increases with age. It is a proven fact that 50% of people aged 64 years and above experience some kind of sleep disorder (Maisch, Podd, & Rapley 2002). Whereas hormonal and physical changes taking place as people age are seen to cause sleep disorders, more predominantly in menopausal women, the rise of other medical conditions and disorders is also construed to alter the sleep of the elderly.
Failure to get deep restorative sleep has become a major problem facing the elderly. Whereas they try to sleep as they used to while younger, they rarely get adequate sleep, pointing to the fact that they suffer from fatigue as well as daytime drowsiness (Ancoli, 1996) This is associated with their inability to have much REM sleep which is considered to be the most restorative sleep phase (Ancoli, 1996).
Variations in weight, specifically gain in weight are also effects of sleep deprivation. Hormone levels in our bodies are subject to amount and quality of sleep hence physiological processes relying on hormones such as leptin and ghrelin (for appetite) are affected by sleep (Andreassi, 1995). Whereas leptin offers one with the feeling of satisfaction or fullness after meals, ghrelin stimulates appetite while the level of leptin fall with sleep deprivation, the level of ghrelin increases upon sleep deprivation. The net effect of these changes is that a person ends up feeling hungrier despite having eaten (Andreassi, 1995). This causes him or her to eat more consequently increasing his weight.
As mentioned elsewhere effects of some sleep disorders have significant implications to the large society. Some of these effects include loss in production, accidents as well as loss of human life (Andreassi, 1995). Practically when a large population of the productive subjects suffers from one kind of sleep disorder or another, due to their inability to function well, the general society suffers from decreased output in terms of production.
Sleep deprivation is also responsible for a number of road accidents. A sleep deprived driver not only endangers his life but also the lives of other road users. Some serious accidents cause death either to the sufferer himself/herself or any other road user (Fritz, 1993).
Chronic sleep deprivation is responsible for problems articulated to social relationships due to petulance in addition to some medical problems.
Effects of Sleep disorders on a Professional Athlete
Physical performance of an athlete can be affected by sleep disorders. As seen elsewhere sleep deprivation and sleep disorders have a bearing on the physical performance of a person as adequate quality sleep increases an athlete’s performance (Carlson, 2007).
Whereas it is agreed that failure to have a good night’s sleep makes a person to experience tediousness, drowsiness, bad temper, such situations (experiences) impair the physical performance as well due to inadequate energy reserve caused by lack of good quality sleep (Moore et al, 2000). Regular interruption of an athlete’s sleep pattern can also affect his/her performance.
However, it is not surprising to find professional football players experiencing sleep apnea disorder. This happens due to their bounty ness as well as masculinity. This increase in size and muscle has effects on the neck leading to close off of air path by redundant muscles and tissue while one is asleep. It is imperative for athletes to appreciate the possibility of developing sleep problems as they can adversely affect their cardiovascular health (Feinstein & MacDonald, 1974).
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) concedes that a person experiencing sleep deprivation has his athletic performance suffering. Athletes’ endurance level as well as fitness level reduces upon some effects of sleep deprivation striking the body. Sleep deprivation as in any other human being, can impair the hearing as well as eyesight of an athlete. Other effects that can befall an athlete maybe emotional such as mood swings (Carlson, 2000).
Prior to research that was carried out by the University of Chicago medical school; there was no evidence that could authenticate the claim that enough sleep was significant in optimal sports performance. This study revealed that sleep deprivation could slow glucose metabolism by as much as 30-40% (Feinstein & MacDonald, 1974). The study involved 11 men who were aged 18 to 27. These men were made to sleep eight hours each for 3 nights before turning to four hours per night for 6 nights and finally to 12 hours per night for seven days. This study revealed that during the sleep deprivation period (4 hours per night) their rate of metabolizing glucose to be insufficient. Cortisol level (stress hormone) was found to increase with sleep deprivation (Feinstein & MacDonald, 1974). This was associated with memory impairment; age associated insulin resistance, as well as impaired recovery in athletes.
Eve Van Cauter concluded that in sleep deprivation to healthy men, glucose levels were abnormal in addition to declining their body’s function. To an athlete the study is significant since it reveals that sleep deprivation can negatively affect physiology imperative for their performance (Andreassi, 1995. Even though the complexities of sleep seem not to have been fully resolved, present studies show that sleep deprivation tends to increase cortisol levels (stress hormones), low activity of human growth hormone as well as decreased glycogen metabolism (Andreassi, 1995).
Other existing studies point out that with sleep deprivation there is decrease in aerobic endurance as well as increase in ratings of perceived hard work (National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1992). For an athletic those findings are important considering the fact that glucose and glycogen are their sources of energy. The ability to store glucose in the muscles as well as the liver is so imperative for endurance athlete. Thus a sleep deprived athlete will have lower storage of glycogen which is so important for endurance activities lasting beyond one and a half hours.
Moreover increased levels of cortisol affect tissue repair and growth (Andreassi, 1995). The implication of this is that with time an athlete may respond negatively to heavy training, leading to overtraining and injury. The significance of this research is that it showed metabolic function to be affected by chronic lack of sleep. The study also places significant knowledge to the endurance athlete, since proper sleep is advisable during heavy training as well as before competitions as no harm is likely to happen (Andreassi, 1995).
In a similar move Cherimah of Stanford University conducted a study involving six healthy men of the University’s men’s basketball team (National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1992). These six men were instructed to maintain their typical sleep-wake patterns for two weeks, before turning to a two week period of extra sleep (extended sleep) to evaluate improvements in athletic performance, the students were measured based on their sprint time and shooting percentages (Feinstein & MacDonald, 1974).
Crucial improvements in athletic performance were noted, encompassing faster sprint time in addition to increased free throws. This study also found out that the athletes energy level had increased, in addition to improving their mood during practices and games. Low levels of fatigue were also noted. The significance of this research is that it revealed that obtaining extra sleep was connected to improvements in indicators of the athletic performance as well as mood among the athletes (Fritz, 1993).
A person’s (athlete’s) physical health, emotional well being, mental abilities, productivity as well as performance are subject to the amount of sleep the person gets. Current researches connect lack of sleep with serious health problems including elevated risk of depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes (National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1992).
As an athlete it is advisable to have seven to eight hours of sleep every night so as to maintain good health and optimum performance (Andreassi, 1995). In addition, post exercise recovery is decisive to make better use of athletic performance at any level. For a full post exercise recovery, good sleep hygiene is considered as an important aspect. It is crucial thus, for coach’s athletes and trainers to consider sleep as one of the most important factor for post exercise. This is so because insufficient sleep as well as failure to rest, traveling tediousness and jet lag, facilitates poor recovery (Carlson, 200). High level athletes and professional athletes with meticulous training program sleep and recovery are crucial to their overall health benefits of exercise and performance. While sleep is a major component of recovery, recovery is the means to reaping the full advantage of training.
Conclusion
Sleep disturbances places unpremeditated but huge burden on almost every nation worldwide. Various industrial and automobile accidents are linked to undetected, hence untreated sleep disorders. Job as well as school performance and everyday social interactions are not spared either. However, a variety of sleep disorders whether due to mental or physical aspects can be treated or controlled efficiently once they are properly identified.
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