Tara Postnikoff | Coach, Nutritionist, Triathlete

I know it’s only Monday but I’m sure you’re thinking of the weekend already because we gain an hour of sleep this Sunday… right? 😴⏰. The clocks fall back, but that extra hour doesn't guarantee better sleep. Changes to our sleep schedule can disrupt sleep timing and quality.

Athletes sleeping less than 8 hours per night were 1.7x more likely to sustain a sports injury than those sleeping 8+ hours. When sleep duration decreased while training load increased, one study found a 2.25x increase in injury hazard.

Sleep is an important part of managing training stress and supporting recovery. For athletes, sleep isn’t just downtime. It’s when recovery, adaptation and performance happen. Too little sleep or poor-quality sleep can affect energy, mood, reaction time, training quality, perception of effort and recovery.

A few reminders for the week ahead:
💤 Keep your sleep and wake times consistent.
🌞 Get natural light early in the day.
☕ Be mindful of late-day caffeine.
🏋️ Pay attention to how you feel before pushing intensity.

You can't out-train poor recovery. Protect your sleep, support your adaptation, and give your body the opportunity to get stronger.

How do you protect your sleep?