Do Athletes Need More Sleep?

"Sleep is an essential component of health and well-being, with significant impact on physical development, cognition, quality of life, and social interaction," Dr. Rodriguez explained. "Speed and power seems to be reduced with sleep deprivation." In a study entitled "Sleep and Performance" by Andrew M. Watson, MD, MS, that appeared in the American College of Sports Medicine, "Sleep deprivation and even minimal amounts of sleep restriction have been consistently shown to impair accuracy in athletic events, whereas accuracy has been found to improve after sleep extension."