Sleep Like An Athlete: How To Unlock Our Most Powerful Performance Tool

What do elite athletes prioritise when they need to perform tomorrow? It’s sleep, no question.

While the rest of us often live in denial of its performance power, sacrificing its benefits in the pursuit of getting more done, for athletes it’s a non-negotiable, the cornerstone of recovery, resilience and race readiness.

For professionals and high performers, the same principles apply – quality sleep is shown to produce sharper thinking and adaptability, greater energy and strength, stronger immunity and resilience and even adds a positivity filter to how we perceive our capabilities, interactions and opportunities each day.

During the deep stages of sleep — known as slow-wave sleep — the body releases human growth hormone (HGH), a key driver of muscle and bone repair. This process doesn’t just help athletes bounce back from intense training sessions; it’s also vital for anyone dealing with the daily wear and tear of work, exercise and stress.

Studies indicate that growth hormone secretion peaks during deep sleep, underscoring why rest is just as important as reps. Skipping sleep, by contrast, means short-changing your body’s natural repair system.

Athletes know more than anyone how injuries can derail training, seasons even careers. Interestingly, research shows that consistent sleep may be as protective as any physical strength program.

A study of adolescent athletes found that those who slept fewer than seven hours per night were nearly twice as likely to get injured compared to those who slept more. Beyond musculoskeletal health, sleep strengthens immune defenses. Poor sleep increases susceptibility to infections like the common cold and can reduce vaccine efficacy, according to findings from the Sleep Research Society.

For professionals, this means fewer sick days, stronger defences and more time available to show your best self.

The evidence is clear – every facet of our psychological performance – from decision-making to creativity, focus to memory, all hinge on the quality of our sleep.

Neuroscientific studies show that sleep enhances working memory, reaction time, and accuracy. For athletes, this can be the difference between a medal and a missed opportunity.

Sleep strengthens neural pathways through a process called synaptic consolidation, allowing the brain to retain and integrate new information. Put simply: you literally think better after a good night’s sleep.

While 7-9 hours is generally considered the sweetspot for experiencing sleep’s varied benefits, a famous Stanford University study extended the nightly sleep of college basketball players to 10 hours per night. The results were striking: players sprinted faster, reacted quicker and significantly improved shooting accuracy.

These findings reveal that sleep isn’t just about minimising fatigue – it’s a performance multiplier. 

Sleep influences how we show up mentally and emotionally. Consistently good sleep regulates the stress hormone cortisol, stabilizes mood, and improves resilience in the face of challenges.

Athletes heading into competition need calm, focus and confidence; just like professionals navigating demanding schedules. Studies in Nature Reviews Neuroscience highlight how sleep deprivation heightens emotional reactivity, making it harder to manage pressure. In contrast, quality rest equips us with clarity, optimism, and adaptability.

Elite athletes are wise to treat sleep as sacred — and the science shows why. It fuels repair, prevents breakdowns, sharpens thinking, elevates performance, and fortifies mindset. For high performers outside of sport, the benefits are just as powerful.

Prioritising sleep – and finding ways to improve the quality of sleep we get – remains the most accessible, effective, and overlooked performance enhancer we all have access to.

The ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast applies insights from elite sport to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday.