Why is sleep important for recovery?

What are the impacts that a lack of sleep has on the body? When we were growing up we are often told that sleep is important for recovery. As stated in the NSW Government – Healthy Eating Active Living recommendations, “children between the ages of 14-17 years old require 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night”.(1) One recent study on “Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Acute Skeletal Muscle Recovery after Exercise” have shown that low sleep has an impact on our blood pressure, energy metabolism, hormonal secretion, the immune system, and eating behavior.(3) Each of these components are important for the maintenance of our energy levels, and can directly impact the muscle recovery process. For this purpose, it is suggested that 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep is required for adults.

Knowing that adequate sleep allows the body to recover, we can also apply this to those that are currently suffering from low back pain, neck pain, or any ache/pains in the body. One 2021 study mentions that poor sleep can disrupt the physiological process that can negatively affect pain perception, and can worsen pain by influencing pain signal processing, pain threshold, inflammation, and disability. (4) In conjunction with our care it is imperative to maintain adequate sleep to allow for the best results to live pain free.

How can you improve your quality of sleep?

Here are some tips: