Resting Reps: Can sleep lift performance?

A lecturer in Sports and Exercise at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Bobbie Butters is also a well-known and successful Strength Athlete who competes internationally as a Powerlifter. Bobbie has a track record of huge achievements in her chosen sport, and is a Team GB European Powerlifting Champion. 

Before becoming an educator at the University, Bobbie studied at UCLan along with fellow alumni and Head of Sleep Science at Mattress Online - Hannah Shore - and in our latest blog they meet to discuss the importance of sleep in Bobbie’s routine - from training, to competition preparation and beyond.

General Sleep Habits

Hannah: Let’s start with an easy one - are you a morning person or an evening person?

Bobbie: A morning person  - 100% - I always have been, since being a very small child.

Hannah:  Is this different to your partner and how do you cope if it is different?

Bobbie:  My partner is a farmer so is very much the same as me, a big morning person.

Hannah: How many hours of sleep do you aim for per night? And do you have a wind-down or pre-bed routine?

Bobbie: I aim to get an average of seven hours per night - and more recently I have been implementing a routine where I ensure I stop working at a set time, wash and brush my teeth, and then watch some TV with my partner. 

Hannah: Do you use any technology or aids to support your sleep?

Bobbie: Yes; I use a pair of blue filter glasses when I watch a screen with my partner.

Sleep and Performance

Hannah: Let’s talk about your powerlifting training - if you are a morning person do you find training in the morning is easier, and does your schedule allow this? How do you combat it if it doesn’t?

Bobbie: For quite a long time now I have made the choice to train around 4-5pm, I feel strong and prepared to train at this time - and thankfully my work schedule aligns well with this most of the time. I find it is important to have the discipline to start after work so it’s things like having my training clothes already prepared for when I get back from work that are helpful.

Hannah: Do you see a link between the quality of sleep you get and your performance? If so, is there a specific time where this could have been an issue or led to success?

Bobbie: If I have had one or two nights of low quality sleep this does not seem to affect my performance in training. If however this extends to closer to a week, then I can feel my performance decline. I find it harder to recover between sets, harder to concentrate on one task at a time - and my technique can feel less grooved. Writing in my training diary can really help to bring me into the moment to keep me focused on what I am doing. But sometimes when I am tired this is mentally challenging.

Hannah: How does your sleep schedule change around your training/competition times? Do nerves affect your sleep? How do you manage this?

Bobbie: For a long time now I don’t tend to struggle to sleep the night before a competition. I always ensure that I have at least one relaxing day before a competition and since competing internationally my pre-competition evening routine has evolved. This includes an “at home spa day” where I relax with a face mask, wash my hair etc - and I always paint my nails while watching a Disney film.

Hannah:  Has your view on what effects your performance changed throughout your career? Did you used to just focus on training but then as your knowledge and understanding grew, nutrition was as important? When was the realisation that sleep was important?

Bobbie: I feel I have always known sleep is important - even from being a young teenager. However, I found it hard to implement healthy sleep habits and very often felt that “I should be working more”  - so for much of my life I would sleep just four hours. About two years ago I really wanted to push to get closer to the six hour sleep mark consistently. Then a year or so ago I decided I did not want to have to use an alarm to wake up - instead I wanted my body to wake up naturally where possible which I’ve managed to achieve. I do have a back-up alarm, but very rarely will wake up to it and more often than not will in fact wake up naturally about 30 mins before the alarm.

Hannah: Talking about nutrition, your diet may change throughout the year depending on the training/competitions. Do you find this affects your sleep too?

Bobbie: My nutrition habits do tend to stay consistent these days so I don’t feel any adverse effects. I have had periods in my life where my hunger has kept me awake though.

Hannah’s thoughts on Bobbie’s Sleep routine…

Bobbie’s general sleep habits are ones that we would expect from an athlete. A good consistent sleep/wake schedule means her body is used to producing the correct sleep/wake hormones at the same time every day. This is why Bobbie tends to wake up naturally every day before her alarm. 

Throughout this article Bobbie mentions how routines are important to her. Her normal night time routine of stopping work by a set time, getting ready for bed and then winding down is something we could all learn from. As adults we forget the importance of a good night time routine and ensuring we have enough time to switch off from all our daily activities and wind down can help us drift off to sleep that little bit easier. Bobbie’s routine and sleep practices are so entrained that even when it comes to the stress and nerves of a big competition, this does not alter how easy sleep comes. 

We often see athletes tapping into the latest tech, trying to get more data to see how they can improve their overall performance. Although data is great, when it comes to sleep simply asking yourself “did i get a good night’s sleep?” can give you all the answers you need. Bobbie has also embraced this, opting out of the usual trackers and using a pair of blue light filter glasses when using screens in the evening. Light is very important when it comes to sleep and although artificial light is not as bright as the natural light we need to help set our circadian clocks you may find it pushes your sleep time back slightly.¹

Sleep and performance are very closely linked. Reduced sleep quality and quantity can lead to reduction in concentration, fatigue and make even the most dedicated athletes a little less motivated. Although Bobbie doesn’t see a change with one to two nights disrupted sleep, we can see the effects starting to creep into her training when this lasts longer. However, it is not just athletes that we see these changes in - reduced concentration levels, struggling with memory recall, and even changes in diet are things that we see in people every day who don’t get enough sleep. Although poor sleep can affect performance, one way to improve sleep quality is physical exercise, and we don’t all have to be powerlifting champions for this to have an effect. Simply getting up and moving slightly more than you do normally has shown to have a significant effect on improving your sleep.²

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References:

1. Bigalke, J.A. et al. (2021) Effect of evening blue light blocking glasses on subjective and objective sleep in healthy adults: A randomized control trial, Science Direct. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721821000127.

1. Kline, C.E. et al. (2021) Physical activity and sleep: An updated umbrella review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee report, ScienceDirect. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079221000745.

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Image credits:

1. Bobbie Butters headshot image - credit to SBD Apparel 
2. Bobbie Butters training image - credit to APTH.photography