The Importance of Sleep for Injury Management: How to Heal Faster and Prevent Future Injuries

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” — Irish Proverb
 
Most people know that sleep is important for overall health, but many don’t realise that it’s also crucial for injury management and healing. When you sleep, your body goes into repair mode and produces more collagen, which helps to heal wounds and reduce inflammation. Getting enough sleep can also help prevent future injuries by reducing fatigue and boosting immunity.

So how do you maximise the sleep you get?

If you’re dealing with an injury getting a little more sleep than normal is key. In our modern world we all like to burn the candle at both ends, and early wake ups coupled with late nights are the standard. While we can all generally survive on a little less sleep than is optimal, when you're healing sleep should become a priority - it’s important to give your body the time it needs to heal properly. In addition to getting enough sleep, there are other things you can do to speed up the healing process and prevent future injuries. Be sure to eat a healthy diet, stay hydrated, and avoid smoking. Exercise can also help to improve recovery time and reduce the risk of future injuries.

Recommendations for hours of sleep for adults generally sit around 7-9 hours per night, but this will vary between individuals. To know how many hours of sleep are ideal for you, you should be aiming to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day (rather than groggy and slow). While healing, aim for a little more sleep than is usual for you. This is called "sleep banking" and has been shown to have incredible impacts on athletes as well as the general population.

So why is sleep important for healing? Growth hormone which is needed for tissue regeneration and repair, is only secreted while we sleep. Sleeping also decreases our need for oxygen and lowers the amount of energy needed for digestion, which allows our body to devote that energy to building the proteins and transporting the free fatty acids needed for healing. Sleep also increases our tolerance to pain by up to 20% after just four nights of extended sleep(1). So not only do we heal faster, but we experience pain less intensely. The benefits truly cannot be understated!
 
Whether you’re recovering from an injury, or just wanting to look after your overall health, there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re getting optimal sleep by practicing good sleep hygiene:
 

• Establish a regular sleep schedule and stick to it as much as possible (put yourself to bed at a sensible bedtime and skip that "one more episode" on Netflix for a change)
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine to help prepare your body for sleep. Whether it's taking a warm shower, practicing meditation or reading a book, aim to actively unwind before bed
• Avoid caffeine late in the day and limit alcohol before bedtime. While alcohol makes it feel like it's easier to get to sleep, it significantly impacts our sleep quality, and also increases inflammation in the body (which isn't great for healing either!)
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool (or warm enough in winter). Some people swear by white noise for an optimal sleep, whilst others love earplugs to block out snoring partners.
• Limit your screen time before bed
• Have a consistent wake up time each day to set your circadian rhythm, and where possible spend some time in the morning outside in the sun

 
Do you have any questions about sleep and health? Leave a comment below and let us know! Or get in touch with our team of Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists to find out how you can maximise your healing even more. We're always happy to help answer any questions you may have. And be sure to check back soon for more blog posts on exercise and health! Until then, happy sleeping!

1. Stand J Med Sci Sports. 2017 Mar;27(3):266-274

 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.12703