Guide: Best Tips & Mattress for Athletes

Are you an athlete? Read our comprehensive guide on getting the best sleep, along with the best mattress to buy for athletes.

I. Sleeping Benefits for Athletes

II. Sleep Positions for Athletes

III. Athlete Sleeping Tips

IV. Athlete Sleeping FAQ’s

V. GhostBed Athlete Sleeper Reviews

Sleep is needed by all to have the best quality of life, but for an athlete quality sleep is just an important as training to win the next event. Sleeping allows for the body to rejuvenate and rebuild. Along with the proper workout, the athlete also needs a proper night’s sleep to keep up endurance.
Exercising can actually improve the quality of sleep. Athletes should be the best sleepers, but they too will have sleep issues. Anxious before a big game, match or workout, an athlete can have a restless night. This will work against any efforts being made to train to be the best athlete possible. Finding the best mattress for athletes mean doing all one can to get the best sleep possible.

I. Sleeping Benefits for Athletes

Recovery

Sleeping time allows for the body to renew for the next day. For the athlete sleep is the best way to recover physically and mentally. Without a proper night’s sleep the athlete will literally be off his or her game. With that is mind, there is no better way for an athlete to recover from a tough game or workout, than with a good night’s sleep. The athlete also needs to have a mind working at 100 percent to achieve goals so without sleep proper focus will be impeded.

Natural Testosterone

One hears of athletes manipulating testosterone levels but if they made sure to get quality sleep they would never have to think about this. Getting proper sleep allows for the body to release the proper levels of testosterone to build strong muscles.

Growth Hormone

Athletes depend on the natural growth hormone to keep them going to build muscle and burn fat. Just as children need sleep to help them grow, sleep is an essential tool for athletes to keep lean and build muscle mass. The right amount of sleep will give the athlete increased energy as well as the best body composition. With a good night’s sleep the athlete will win out with achieving the top performance level.

Control Weight

With metabolism being linked to a good sleep, it makes sense that the best sleep will also be a tool for controlling weight. Athletes depend on being at the right weight for training and competition. Poor sleep affects the functions of insulin and glucose. When sleep is not normalized then then all organs maintaining the body will be out of sync, in turn possibly leading to gaining unwanted weight that will impede an athletes’ efforts.

II. Sleep Positions for Athletes

Back

Although your bedmate may be angered by increased snoring that sleeping on the back can cause, this position is considered the best for aligning the spine properly. With the entire body depending on the spine for support, the athlete will gain the most from sleeping in the back position. Look for the best mattress for athletes that will contour to the spine and support it when in this position.

Side

Side sleeping comes in as second best position for athletes. With most people preferring this position than any other, it stands to reason that athletes will as well. To improve the spine alignment in the side position consider placing a thin pillow between the knees. This will allow for a straighter spine and a higher comfort level.

Stomach

Unless a young child, the stomach position is generally the least preferred way to sleep. This is good since it is also seen as the worst position for athletes to sleep in as it works against the natural curvature of the spine by flattening it. When sleeping on the stomach it also forces the head to turn sharply to the side which will kink the neck and cause pain. A pillow placed under the upper hip area will help release some pressure on the spine.

III. Athlete Sleeping Tips

• Make sure to exercise on a regular basis. This should be a no-brainer for the athlete, but even he or she can overdue it or not do it as normal routine. Those who exercise regularly have been see to get the best night’s sleep.
• Daylight and sunlight can do wonders for promoting better sleeping. Experts report that getting sunlight earlier in the day will give the body a better sleep at night. Athletes who enjoy a morning run probably have already experienced this. Try working near a window during the day, or taking breaks outside, to get a better sleep. Don’t forget though that once the sun goes down and it is time for sleep, to turn off the artificial light so the body is not fooled by thinking it is still daytime and not ready to sleep.
• Sleeping cool will promote a better quality of sleep with less tossing and turning. Mattresses are made with gel infusion to provide the optimal sleeping temperature for the body. There are also aftermarket mattress pad additions to plug in to keep the body cool. Think opposite of a heating blanket or heating pad. Cooling pillowcases are perfect for those on a budget.
• Darken the room with room darkening shades or curtains. A totally dark room will provide the ultimate of sleeping environments. If you do not have a way to darken the windows, then buy a sleep mask that you can wear to assure darkness as you sleep away.
• Keep the noise to a minimum. For those living with others or in environments where noise may become disruptive, then consider using a white noise machine or relaxing music to keep the room calm. There are also apps with soothing sounds made specifically to promote a good sleep.

IV. Athlete Sleeping FAQ’s

Will a sleep tracking device help me get a better sleep?

Smart watches and fitness trackers have become extremely popular, especially for athletes who wish to track performance. These same devices can also track sleep to view the quality of sleep you are getting and to improve it accordingly if needed.

Is there an app that will help improve sleep?

As they say, there is an app for everything, and that is certainly true in helping to improve sleep quality. The Sleep Cycle App and SleepBot App are alarm clocks that actually analyze how you sleep and then will work to wake you during the lightest phase of sleep.

V. GhostBed Athlete Sleeper Reviews

Athletes are well aware of the importance of wearing the right equipment to get the job done when training and competing. It is probably more important to have the best mattress for athletes to get the proper sleep to allow the body to perform at its peak levels. A universal memory foam mattress with cooling gel is just what the coach will call for when an athlete is seeking the best mattress to purchase.

GhostBed is an ideal mattress for athletic customers reviewing their experience.