Sleep: The OG Performance Enhancer

By Jaci Schuerholz

Ahhh, sleep. One of those things that the youth can take completely for granted. (Trust me, I know because I sure did.) When we were kids, we FOUGHT sleep with a fury, fearing what we might have been missing out on when we weren’t awake. In our twenties, young adulthood, sleep became more important, but still, we could slide by with a little less than we probably should have. And then, when we got older older, everything we previously understood to be true seemed to get flipped upside down. Suddenly finding ourselves desperately seeking out sleep and spending much of our waking hours talking about how tired we are. Living our lives from one espresso shot to the next. 

Sleep is a super accessible human function, but somehow, it’s a constant challenge for many people. A billion-dollar industry has grown around it, filled with melatonin products and plush mattresses. We track our sleep with wearable devices and score each night as if it were a test, wondering whether we passed or failed and how it will affect the rest of our day.

And although human beings are a dramatic species, we aren’t getting it entirely wrong when we make a big fuss about catching z’s. Sleep truly is incredibly important to all aspects of life. It can make or break anyone when dosed in extremes in either direction. 

Now extrapolate that out as you consider what that means for runners. If sleep can make or break anyone doing basic human level things, how does that translate to the highly active among us? As you probably guessed, sleep is exceptionally critical to performance and durability in runners. Come along with me as I detail why that is and how you can make the most of your horizontal hours. 

Why sleep matters more for runners.

So why is snoozing so uber important for runners? I’m so glad you asked! Sleep gives runners SOOOO much. What a lot of runners don’t realize is that although you put in the work during your awake hours, the adaptations happen when you’re in bed. Of course you need to put in the training but recovery is where the real magic happens. Sleep is where muscles, tendons, and ligaments repair, hormones regulate, glycogen stores replenish, and the body adapts to the training stress you've accumulated. Our immune function restores itself so we don’t get sick, and our mental focus and motivation is kept in check and refreshed. After each and every effort, we need to be sure we give our bodies the very best opportunity to come back to homeostasis. Sleep is the recipe!!

Poor sleep, poor performance.

Poor sleep comes at a high cost for anyone, but particularly for runners. The biggest revelation that’s come in more recent history is how much more likely runners are to sustain injury if their sleep isn’t up to par. 

A recent study of recreational runners found that poor sleep quality, sleep problems, and inconsistent sleep schedules were associated with a significantly higher injury risk. The study revealed that runners who struggled with falling asleep, staying asleep, or rarely felt well rested were the most prone to injury. More broadly, athletes have slower reaction times, poorer focus, and major problems with decision making when their sleep is compromised. The list goes on and on. 

On the flip side, those who maintained consistent sleep schedules and felt well-rested reported significantly fewer injuries. Research has also shown that athletes who are well rested demonstrate better endurance, faster reaction times, improved pacing decisions, and greater overall performance capacity.

A non-exhaustive list of signs you aren’t sleeping enough.

Sleep deprivation is kind of like a ninja, it doesn’t usually make a grand entrance, it stealthily sneaks up on you wearing black. As a runner, there will likely be subtle warning signs that suggest you aren’t getting enough sleep before you break entirely. Pay attention if: easy runs feel significantly harder than normal, paces feel off consistently, resting heart rate is elevated, heart rate during exertion spikes quicker than normal, progress is slowing, soreness is lingering longer than would be expected per activity, motivation dips, or you just feel like a grumpy Gus all around. The culprit of your training woes may be what happens (or doesn’t) beneath the sheets.

So. How much sleep do runners need?

General guidelines recommend that adults, whether active or sedentary, get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. For runners, more sleep equates to better recovery and performance. It all depends on your training volume and lifestyle, but as a general rule of thumb, the more you’re moving, the greater your sleep needs. Some pros report sleeping upwards of 10-12 hours per night. And consistency matters, too. Experts suggest that all ages should aim to establish a consistent bedtime and wake up schedule, this reinforces your body’s circadian rhythm (internal clock) which allows your brain to optimize the release of sleep hormones (melatonin) and waking hormones (cortisol). In the end, this structured routine will make it feel easier to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling fresher.

What if more sleep isn’t an option???

Before every parent reading this slam dunks their phone into the floor in a fit of rage, let’s acknowledge that getting more sleep isn’t always as simple as deciding to go bed earlier. Life happens, babies wake up, toddlers have nightmares, work deadlines pile up, the puppy needs constant attention… whatever it is. Sometimes we are just not poised for more sleep because the season of life we find ourselves in says NOPE. 

Try to keep in mind that instead of striving for perfection, we should give ourselves grace and strive to be more aware. If you’re in the thick of a period where sleep doesn’t come quite as easily, do your best to notice it and adjust your routine and training in response to it - that alone can be huge! Change your expectations during this time; instead of pushing harder, maybe pull back a little with the understanding that the body can’t recover from what it never gets an opportunity to repair. Ride the waves, the ebbs and the flows, then when sleep becomes more accessible you can treat it like the performance tool that it is. 

Quality matters.

Unfortunately, you can't simply compensate for five chaotic hours of sleep by spending nine hours starfished across your mattress on Saturday morning. Sleep quality matters just as much as quantity. It’s important to pay attention to how you’re living during the day because it’s going to directly impact how you’re snoozing at night. Lifestyle factors that hit hard on our sleep include how much stress we carry around, our daily diet, how much exercise we get, if we drink alcohol, if we smoke, how much screen time we get, natural light exposure, and if we have preexisting health conditions. 

If you are looking for ways to help balance your sleep with your training look no further than our Running Explained Training Plans. Now including Strength Training along with running plans to support your training.

How runners can make sleep their secret weapon.

There are several ways that we as runners can use sleep to our advantage instead of letting it lead us to our own demise. I put together a list of five ways that runners can make sleep their secret sauce. 

1. MIND YOUR DIET/CAFFEINE/ALCOHOL

This doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. First, be mindful of when you have your last bit of caffeine for the day. Sleep experts recommend cutting off all caffeine at least 6-8 hours before bedtime in order to not negatively impact sleep quality. Second, limit alcohol intake. Even small amounts of alcohol can have a surprisingly large impact on sleep quality, so try to imbibe sparingly especially during a training cycle. And finally, try to maintain a well-rounded healthy diet. There are certain foods that naturally promote sleep such as tart cherries, kiwi, almonds, walnuts, oatmeal and chamomile tea, but the BIG PICTURE strategy should be to eat a wholesome balanced diet most of the time (while also enjoying your life and not restricting yourself!).  

2. GET ON A SCHEDULE

Schedule your sleep like you schedule a doctor appointment. Decide what times work best for getting yourself into bed and what time waking up feels most natural. Set alarms and get into a routine of winding down at appropriate intervals before bedtime. If you have trouble getting into a groove, use mindfulness strategies (listed below) to successfully get you to count those sheep.

3. GET YOUR ENVIRONMENT RIGHT

Make your bedroom a place you daydream about. Invest a little more in some quality bed sheets and pillows and make your space aesthetically soothing. Play with different temperatures to see which is most suitable to an ideal night of sleep for you. Cooler is generally better, but everyone’s internal thermostat is a little bit different. 

4. SEE YA, SCREENS

Make an effort to reduce blue light exposure from screens at least 90 minutes before bed. You can do this by simply turning screens off or if that isn’t an option, use amber glasses or night modes on your devices. Remember that putting the screen down COMPLETELY some time before bed is always going to be most beneficial, so make that the A goal.

5. MINDFULNESS MATTERS

See if you can build a wind down routine into your evening that incorporates activities which will effectively help you drift off to dreamland. Common activities include a warm bath or shower 1-2 hours before bed (can facilitate falling asleep 36% faster), mindful meditation or stretching for 5-10 minutes (assists in resetting your parasympathetic nervous system), or taking a few minutes to journal or brain dump thoughts onto paper (purging thoughts onto pages can slow down a racing mind). 

PRO TIP: In the process of trying to nail down a good sleep rhythm, recording your experience in a journal can be huge. Record what time you got to bed and what time you woke up, make notes about temperatures, what you ate before bed and what kind of activities you did in the hours before. All of this feedback can come together to best inform you about what may be the game genie code to your best sleep ever moving forward. 

Bonus sleep strategies for runners.

Sleep banking.

Something that a lot of runners and athletes do before competition that isn’t talked about a lot is sleep banking. Sleep banking means basically exactly what it sounds like, before a race or competition, an athlete sleeps way more than normal for a set period of days, hoping to “bank” that sleep and reap the benefits. Sleep banking helps reduce stress and boosts performance. Sleep banking has successfully proven to protect against one bad night’s sleep (which can often happen the night before a race) and this can be huge in terms of a competitive edge.

Naps.

Naps can be a runner’s secret weapon, too. A performance hack that’s pretty easy to execute, a nap can boost alertness and recovery in a big way. 20-30 minute naps are ideal, and somewhere around 2-3 pm is the sweet spot in the day where you catch peak benefits. Experts advise avoiding long naps in order to prevent grogginess. 

Managing Jet lag. 

Competitive runners and recreational runners alike often find themselves traveling for races, which means jet lag can become part of the performance equation. The best strategy is to start adjusting your sleep schedule several days before you travel. Even shifting your bedtime by 15–30 minutes each day can help. Once you arrive, prioritize sunlight exposure, movement, and hydration to help your body adapt. Some athletes also use melatonin strategically, though it's always wise to discuss supplementation with your healthcare provider first. 

The competitive advantage of sleep.

Runners love to over-complicate things. We obsess over carbon-plated shoes, expensive supplements, recovery gadgets, and the latest and greatest training hacks. Ironically, one of the most powerful performance enhancers available to us is completely free.

Prioritizing sleep doesn’t make you lazy, and sleeping more doesn’t mean you are “losing time”. Prioritizing sleep is what allows all of that hard work you've already done to actually become adaptation. Every time you run, your body puts in a “request” to get stronger, and sleep is how your body answers that request.

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a competitive edge, sleep more. Prioritize sleep with the same enthusiasm you prioritize your training and nutrition. Sleep smarter, recover faster, perform better. It’s that simple. Now go put your phone down and get some sleep. 

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Sources

• de Jonge J, et al. Sleep profiles and sports injuries among recreational runners. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2025. 

• Mah CD, Mah KE, Kezirian EJ, Dement WC. The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players. Sleep. 2011. 

• Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2013. 

• Haghayegh S, et al. Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2019. 

• Rupp TL, et al. Banking sleep: Realization of benefits during subsequent sleep restriction and recovery. Sleep. 2009. 

• Lastella M, et al. Napping in athletes: Benefits, timing, and practical recommendations. Sports Medicine. 2021.