The Importance of Sleep for Golf Performance
The Importance of Sleep for Golf Performance
Although there are many performance and recovery strategies that are beginning to be prioritized by leisurely and competitive athletes alike, golfers included, sleep continues to be ignored as a vitally important tool for performance and recovery.
With that said, sleep is one of the most important prescriptions one can implement for overall health, well-being, performance, and recovery, whether you’re a golfer or not. Contrastingly, failing to get a deep and restful sleep on a regular basis can be detrimental, both to one’s health, well-being, performance, and recovery.
In saying that, what follows will be a discussion regarding the importance of sleep for golf performance, in particular. In addition, we’ll look at the effects of poor sleep quality and how one can improve upon it via lifestyle interventions.
So, if you’re looking to up your golf game, continue reading, this article is for you!
The Result of Poor Sleep
As previously mentioned, by failing to get a restful night’s sleep on a regular basis, you inevitably increase the risk of experiencing the many negative side effects associated with it.
While the list is long, some of the most common results of poor sleep include poor athletic performance, reduced recovery, impaired cognition, hormonal imbalances, weight gain, and even mood swings.
As it pertains to golf performance, in particular, a failure to achieve a restful night’s sleep can and will result in a decrease in attention and focus, slower reaction times, increased risk of injury, and thus a subpar performance on the course at best.
Obviously stated, all of these consequences have direct and indirect carry-over effects on your golf game… Luckily there are ways to begin to improve and prioritize sleep so that you can begin to directly improve performance on the course.
Improving Sleep Quality
Evidently, the more sleep that you get, the better you’ll perform the following day, both on the course and in life.
For example, as outlined above, if you’re consistently receiving 4-6 hours of less-than-optimal rest, your swings are likely to be off, your energy levels low, and your attention span waning.
If you’re receiving 6-8 hours, you’ll immediately and recognizably notice your game improve, your energy levels increase, and your focus sharpen. Finally, if you’re able to experience 8-10 hours of restful sleep on a regular basis, expect to be completely on your golf game; 7-9 hours is, in short, what you want to strive for.
So, if you’ve been failing to achieve a restful night’s sleep on a frequent basis, the following are some helpful tips and tricks that you can implement in order to better optimize your nightly routine…
- Reduce Your Blue Light Exposure 90-minutes Before Bed
- Avoid or Minimize Screen Time 90-minutes Before Bed
- Avoid or Minimize Caffeine Consumption
- Avoid or Minimize Alcohol Consumption
- Avoid or Minimize Sugar Intake
- Set Your Bedroom Temperature to 70 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Invest in Blackout Curtains
- Prioritize Daily Physical Activity
- Unwind 90-minutes Before Bed; Set the Mood
While there’s certainly more where that came from when it comes to improving sleep quality, the tips illustrated above are a great place to start.
Other helpful tips include going to bed and waking up at a consistent time, considering CBD supplementation where necessary, and even experimenting with different herbal non-decaffeinated teas…
Finally, while implementing the tips and tactics above will certainly aid in a better night’s sleep, it’s just as important to identify the optimal sleeping position for YOU. While it might require some trial and error, finding an optimal sleeping position will make all the difference.
In Summary
If you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough sleep on a frequent basis, struggling to either fall asleep or stay asleep, consider supplementing with golf gummies a few hours prior to bed.
Golf gummies are CBD gummies that boast optimal levels of CBD, B12, and other beneficial ingredients that will help you as a golfer rest, recover, and thus increase your performance on the course.
As we’ve learned, sleep is important for all aspects of life. As an athlete looking to boost performance, optimizing for sleep is imperative, so it’s a must that you do all that you can to ensure a restful night’s sleep every night…
Your golf game will thank you for it!
