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Sleep to Win!

AuthorHouse

Contents

1 A Frustrated Athlete..................................12 Winning the Game of Sleep.............................73 Secrets of the Night..................................154 Teenage Walking Zombies...............................235 A Win-Win Situation...................................296 The Dos & Don'ts of Power Napping.....................377 Winning Ways When You're Away.........................458 Sleep Thieves: Drugs and Alcohol......................559 Food for Thought......................................6710 Injury, Recovery & Sleep.............................7511 Giving Nature a Nudge................................8112 A Fairytale Ending?..................................91A References............................................99B Suggested Readings....................................105

Chapter One

My name is Mike Greenza. I'm a professional hockey player–No. 19 with the Philadelphia Flyers. I've been in the league for two years now and am living my dream. Or at least I thought so until I went to my folks' house in Alberta for the holidays and my kid sister, Britt, asked why I seemed so down.

"All my friends want to come over when my big, hockeystar brother's in town," she said, "but they've been asking me why you aren't as friendly as you used to be. Are you okay?"

I tried covering up my surprise by telling her I was just preoccupied. In the NHL, you always need to be getting better, skating faster and scoring more. It's a lot of pressure, and it keeps you on edge. But deep down I knew it was more than that. Truth be told, I was exhausted–from the training, from the traveling, from everything. I just hadn't realized it was showing.

"Sorry Britt. I've actually been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. I toss and turn, and when I finally do fall asleep, before I know it, my alarm is going off and it's time for practice. If I could only get some decent rest, maybe I'd feel and even play better."

Then my kid sister made a brilliant suggestion, something that would ultimately change my career and my life. Why I hadn't thought of it myself proved just how tired I was.

"Remember that psychology professor you had in college–the sleep expert?" she said. "You should email him."

Professor Myers ... Mong ... Maas! That was his name. I had forgotten about him. He'd been one of my college hockey team's advisors. He spoke to us a few times about "sleeping smarter."

You know, that's a really good idea....

To: jbm@powersleep.org

From: mGreenza@nhl.org

RE: Need some advice

Dear Professor Maas,

Hope you're doing well. It's Mike Greenza. If you recall, I took a few of your classes and also played hockey for the varsity hockey team about five years ago. Both experiences served me very well, and I'm currently playing for the Flyers in the NHL.

I'm writing because I need some advice. Lately, I've been having trouble sleeping. And the more I worry about it, the less rest I seem to get. It's gotten to the point where I'm concerned it may not only be affecting my health but also my performance on the ice. I remember your work with the team, and I was hoping you'd be willing to meet with me and talk some more about this. We'll be playing in Buffalo in two weeks, and I could leave some tickets for you–primo seats right behind the bench. It'll be just like old times! Let me know if you can make it.

All the best, Mike Greenza, #19

To: mGreenza@nhl.org

From: jbm@powersleep.org

RE: Need some advice

Dear Mike,

Are you kidding? Seats behind the bench for a Flyers-Sabres' game? I'm there! But seriously, it's great to hear from you, and I'm willing to help in any way I can. I've been following your career in the sports pages and on your team's website. Seems like you started with a bang but have had some ups and downs recently. Since you graduated there's been so much new research about sleep and its relation to athletic performance. And if you're like most of my former students, you've probably forgotten what I taught you, so you're due for a refresher!

Send me the particulars about the game in Buffalo and when you'd like to meet, and I'll take it from there. But before we get together, do me a favor and answer the following questionnaires then email them back to me. They'll help me understand the challenges you're facing so I can better advise you. Looking forward to seeing you again!

With warmest regards,

Your "olde prof," Jim

Chapter Two

A three-hour drive from Ithaca, New York, where my office is located, to Buffalo is not usually something I'd look forward to in mid-January. But I have to admit the chance to see Mike play in person and also help him improve his game had my adrenaline pumping. We had agreed to meet for a late lunch at the Hyatt, where his team was staying.

"Mike, it's wonderful to see you! You look even bigger and stronger than when you graduated."

"That's the difference between college and professional hockey," said Mike, smiling and extending a beefy hand outside the lobby restaurant. "Lots of time in the weight room, especially during the off-season. I swear their goal is to make us into freight trains on skates."

We spent a few minutes catching up after being seated and ordering, but since I knew his time was limited I got right to it.

"Look Mike, I've reviewed your responses to the sleep quizzes. I think you can definitely benefit from some of the new research I mentioned. But before I get into specifics, can you tell me more about what your sleep schedule is like right now?"

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Well, with morning practices, night games, weekend day games, and all the travel – one night we'll be in New York and the next we'll be in Los Angeles – maintaining a regular sleep schedule is just about impossible. And I didn't even mention the charity events, media interviews, and my girlfriend who's in Toronto. I spend a lot of time with her when I'm there. Even when I do manage to get to bed at a reasonable hour, I often have trouble falling asleep or I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about what happened in the game or what I have to do tomorrow...."

He shrugged his massive shoulders. Despite his size, he did look tired. I could see it in his eyes.

"Let me give you a brief refresher on what I call my `Golden Rules of Sleeping Well,'" I said. "It's critically important that you take sleep seriously and make it a priority. Believe it or not, sleep is essential to peak athletic performance.

"At your age, you're probably not concerned about longevity or serious illness, but let me remind you that even a modest lack of sleep can lead to a higher risk of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, Type II diabetes, weight gain, and even cancer. And as you mentioned in your email, it can also produce irritability, anxiety, depression and, when it comes to playing hockey, slower reaction time, loss of motor skills and coordination, and a reduced ability to think, remember, make critical decisions, and avoid risky behavior."

"Whoa," is all he said. But that was good. I had his attention.

"First Golden Rule is you have to determine your PSQ or Personal Sleep Quotient and meet it every night. From puberty to about 26, people need 9¼ hours of sleep each night...