I'm frequently asked to quantify how important sleep really is to performance, and also how important the right pillow is to achieving optimal sleep. Here is data from a few of my favorite studies that paints a comprehensive picture...
The Importance of Sleep on Performance
1. More Sleep Improves Endurance - a study of elite cyclists found that when total sleep time was increased by 30%, athletes saw a 3% improvement in their one hour time trial performance after only two nights of extra sleep. That’s over 7 minutes if you’re pacing for a 4 hour marathon.
2. Decreased Risk of Injury - Research has shown that endurance athletes who sleep for under seven hours a night are 50% more likely to get injured over only a two-week period. That number increases to over 70% in adolescents.
3. Increased Speed & Reaction Time - In a study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, elite swimmers who increased their sleep time to 10 hours per night for six weeks showed a 4% improvement in their performance during a 15-meter sprint.
4. Decreased Perceived Exhaustion - Finally, research has also shown that athletes who are sleep-deprived tend to get exhausted 11% sooner than those who slept well. Also, it has been proven that working out will *feel* harder too.
The Pillow's Role in Optimal Sleep
Study #1 – A 2013 study (in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine) found that using the right supportive pillow to maintain proper spinal alignment during sleep led to a 63% improvement in overall sleep quality.
Study #2 - Research from the National Sleep Foundation showed that individuals who switched to a pillow designed to alleviate neck pain experienced a 57% reduction in discomfort during sleep and an average increase in sleep duration of 45 minutes per night.
Study #3 - A study (published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology) found that participants who used a memory foam pillow experienced a 25% increase in deep sleep, compared to those using traditional pillows.
Interested in finding the right pillow for you and optimizing your sleep? Start with Lagoon's 2-min pillow quiz.
