The Super Power Every Human Has

It’s the age-old childhood question – If you could have one super-power, what would it be? Our younger selves asked that question without realizing we actually have a super-power. It’s called sleep.

According to a systematic review of all research regarding sleep and sports training recovery, the University of Malaysia detailed some of the key benefits of sleep and recovery in a study entitled “The Role of Sleep Quality in Athletic Recovery and Performance”.

Sleep restores the normal function of the lungs.

Sleep restores cardiac rhythm.

Sleep restores blood circulation throughout the body.

Sleep significantly reduces the risk of chronic injuries, such as tendonitis.

Sleep converts excess lactic acid in the muscles into glucose, literally taking waste material and converting it to our benefit.

There are other significant benefits, such as cognitive regeneration and enhanced mood regulation, but this short list gives us a window into the significance of the super-power we possess.

To take full advantage of the benefits of sleep, it helps to understand how sleep works. Most think of sleep as one continuous activity. Instead, sleep functions in 90 to 110-minute cycles that have four stages: Light Sleep 1, Light Sleep 2, Deep Sleep, and REM Sleep. Here is a breakdown:

1.       Light Sleep 1. This cycle lasts 1 to 5 minutes. The primary purpose of this stage is to transition your body from a state of consciousness to unconsciousness. Your muscles will relax and your heart rate will slow. You are easily woken up in this stage.

2.       Light Sleep 2. This cycle lasts 10 to 25 minutes. The primary purpose of this stage is to shut down motor movement and slow cognitive function. Your body temperature drops.

3.       Deep Sleep. This cycle lasts 20 to 40 minutes. The primary purpose of this stage is physical restoration. In this stage muscle tissue is repaired and the human growth hormone is released into the body (basically a healthy and legal steroid). Your immune system and energy levels are restored in this stage. If you wake up during this stage, you will be extremely groggy.

4.       REM Sleep. This cycle lasts 10 to 60 minutes. The primary purpose of this stage is cognitive restoration. Your memory is enhanced and mood regulation becomes much easier.

Your body will go through these four stages throughout the night. As you finish stage four, your body will transition directly back to stage one and repeat the four stages in an unbroken cycle until you wake up.

According to the systematic review referenced above, experts have suggested we think about sleep in these cycles. Plan your sleep in 90-minute segments, with each segment representing one full cycle. Generally, we want to go through 5-cycles or 7.5 hours of sleep. This doesn’t need to be every night, but 5 cycles will generally allow our body to repair tissue and restore cognitive function sufficiently. And doing so consistently will benefit your overall training and race results.