Olympic athletes put themselves through a grueling training schedule, often working out 6-8 hours per day. But a large part of the equation for olympic performance is actually spent sleeping! 

In a study by Vgontzas et al, it was shown that a sleep deprivation of even 2 hours less per night can have huge effects! These include decreased performance, increased daytime sleepiness/sluggishness, as well as an increase in inflammatory markers. What does this mean? Staying up that extra hour or two can have a profound effect on the body, making it more difficult to get through the next day, and decreasing the body’s ability to heal minor and major injuries. 

So do yourself a favor, grab that extra hour of shut eye, your body will thank you :)