Sleep as a Superpower in grassroots football
Oliver Topping explains the impact of sleep on physical development. A health and wellbeing physiologist, Oliver was involved with research to support the maturation of young players from the English Premier League as they progress through the Elite Player Performance Plan.
The benefits of good quality sleep for young people are well known, such as improved attention, academic performance, managing emotion and better physical health and well-being (1-2). Did you know that the recommended amount of sleep for a young person differs dependent on age, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2). Young people aged six-12-years-old need nine-12 hours sleep while those aged 12-16-years-old require slightly less at 8-10 hours. Importantly, it is clear young people need more sleep than adults (i.e., 7-9 hours) to promote optimal health and well-being.
Given young people are growing and maturing rapidly throughout their adolescent years (1), it makes sense their need for sleep would be greater than adults (2). Some of the physical developments young people experience include increases in height, strength, the energy they use, and hormonal changes (3-4). From a performance perspective, getting enough sleep can help young people grow and repair muscle, recover faster from exercise, spend less time injured, improve their on-field decision making and control their emotions (2-4). If coaches can positively influence a young person's sleep, then could this aid their physical development and performance on the pitch?
As a coach, it is almost impossible to get the most out of your team if they are sleep-deprived. There are many signs and symptoms of inadequate sleep which include a lack of energy, focus and concentration (1), feeling hyperactive, sleepy, irritable, and unsociable, or having a low self-esteem (6). Over time, poor sleep can increase the amount of illness experienced (2), which could impact how often young people are available to train or be selected on a match day.
A lack of sleep may not only impact a young person’s health and performance but also their relationships and behaviours with others. This can have an influence on other young people at training or during matches, and lower team morale. If coaches can foster the best sleep practices amongst young people, then could this also promote togetherness and morale boost within the team?
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