Poor sleep ''hinders athletic performance''
16/06/2010
People getting good kip on their mattresses at night show better performance in sports and in the workplace, as well as avoiding health problems, a number of studies have found.
Researchers from Stanford University in the US asked seven members of an American football team to get at least ten hours of sleep a night, according to The Reporter.
They were found to increase their average sprint times after seven to eight weeks of this treatment.
Meanwhile, a separate study found that shift workers who start in the evening are less likely to get a good night''s sleep on their beds, with the maximum fatigue predicted for those who begin work near midnight.
Finally, yet another study found increased mortality among people who get up more than twice during the night, suggesting that interrupted sleep can lead to long-term health problems.
The Sleep Council advises changing an uncomfortable old bed for a new one if people find they are not getting enough sleep, as studies have found they could get an average of 42 minutes of extra rest.
Posted by Matt Gardner.
