When you’re an athlete, it’s vital to ensure you’re looking after your body in order to perform at a high level. This means, eating correctly, training and ensuring you’re getting enough sleep.
Many athletes forget the importance of a good night’s sleep. However, it could significantly impact performance, as well as increase injury risk if you’re not getting enough of it. Therefore, it’s essential you invest in the right bed and mattress to ensure you get the rest your body needs.
Here, we’ll look at why the right bed and mattress is crucial for athletes and the top things to look out for when choosing them.
Why is the right bed and mattress important?
When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, the right bed and mattress are crucial. You need to make sure it is comfortable for your body shape and sleeping position.
While plentiful sleep is important for everyone, it is especially vital for athletes who rely on their performance. The quality and quantity of sleep you get will impact not just your performance, but your hormone levels, muscle recovery and energy levels too.
Studies have shown that getting enough sleep can improve reaction times and speed. It also helps to promote sharper mental capacity. When you’re an athlete, your mental performance is just as important as your physical performance. You need to be able to push yourself past the limits, which requires a lot of mental strength.
It’s also been shown that enough sleep can help to improve coordination and help make higher intensity training sessions much easier. Of course, it will also help you to maintain a healthier weight which is paramount when you’re competing in sports.
Top things to look out for when choosing a bed and mattress
So, now you know how important sleep is for athletes, what should you look out for when choosing the right bed and mattress? The most important factors to consider include:
- Cooling technology
- Products which increase muscle restoration
- Body support
- Adjustable comfort options
- Sleep position
It’s been shown that athletes tend to experience hotter temperatures when they sleep. In order to get a restful night’s sleep, the temperature needs to be just right. So, invest in a mattress that has cooling technology like the foam, Active Lifestyle mattress from Bear.
Some mattresses will also promote muscle restoration, which can reduce the level of soreness you experience the next day. Hybrid mattresses tend to be a good option for this, allowing better airflow than the all-foam options. Similarly, you’ll want to pay attention to mattresses which offer body support, as well as choosing one that best fits your sleeping position.
In terms of base, ideally you’ll want to opt for an Ottoman bed as these use gas struts to better hold and distribute the weight of the mattress.
Other sleep tips to follow
As well as ensuring you have the right bed and mattress, you can also follow a few tips to ensure you’re getting a great night’s sleep. These include sticking to a regular sleep schedule, creating a healthy sleep environment and avoiding alcohol, nicotine and caffeine before bed.
There are a lot of things you’ll need to focus on as an athlete to improve your performance. Ensuring you’re getting a good night’s sleep is paramount to your success.