Athletes and Sleep

Let's face it, we all love to sleep.

I don't have to be a bed mattress salesman and tell you one-third of your life is spent sleeping.

Here are 5 topics that athletes should consider when it comes to sleep. Non-athletes will benefit from this article, too.

1. How Much to Sleep

I'm a firm believer you should sleep in multiples of 90 minute blocks to match your REM cycles. That is 3 hours, 4.5, 6, 7.5 or 9 hours. You should never have an alarm clock wake you up in the middle of deep REM sleep, or else you will feel groggy all day. Some experience the "cobwebs in the brain" sensation.

Why are people told to sleep 8 hours a night? I know, it's nice easy calculation of 8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, and 8 hours remaining. Meditating or reading for 30 minutes before bed makes sense as that makes 0.5