Busy athletes, and others, often find that 24 
hours isn’t enough time in the day. With working, training, family obligations, etc. sleep is often the first thing to go. However, reducing the amount of sleep can have negative impacts on all aspects of your life - in particular the results you get from your training.
During sleep, your body not only rests but releases hormones to help your body repair and recover from all the hard work you’ve done. When we workout the goal, whether we realize it or not, is to tear our bodies down. Lifting weights, running longer/further/harder all damage our muscles. It is during sleep that your body releases one of the key hormones for repair of that damage – growth hormone.
Getting the right amount of sleep has also been shown time and again to be a critical factor in weight loss. Researchers are still teasing out the exact reasons why this is so. A recent study showed that getting less than you need for even one night changed how people’s bodies responded to “fattening foods” that increased the motivation to eat. I know when I don’t get enough sleep I crave sugary carbs (I think to help me stay awake). And, most of us can’t eat if we’re asleep.
Yes, I know getting a full 7 – 9 hours a night is hard. I struggle with it, too. However, making sleep a priority can help your body recover faster from workouts and help you perform better in your workouts, races, and in the rest of your life.
