Getting enough sleep is critical to increasing hockey performance. The more well rested you are, the better you will perform out on the ice. In fact, sleep may be just as important to a hockey player’s health and well-being as physical activity and proper nutrition. Aspiring girls hockey players who are sleep deprived may not reach their full potential even though they participating in well-designed sports-training and conditioning programs.

I never thought about being sleep-deprived when I was in high school and college, but when I look back on it, I probably averaged about 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep per night. That wasn’t enough to function my best in day to day activities, let alone perform my best while I was out on the ice. So how do you know how much sleep is enough?

A recent study found that 94% of young athletes believe that they need more sleep. Most young athletes are chronically sleep-deprived due to increasing academic stress and busy sports schedules. Just think about how many players you know that are over-stressed and over-tired.

Although sleepiness is an obvious consequence of inadequate sleep, girls hockey players who don’t get enough sleep may have difficulty processing information, learning, and performing to the best of their abilities. Players who are sleep deprived will likely feel tired during practice sessions and may have a lower tolerance for frustration when performing challenging exercises. Inadequate sleep can also result in slower reaction times, which could have a significant impact on the outcome of any game. Even a half-second lapse in reaction time can mean the difference between a successful play and a missed opportunity.

There are no hard and fast rules about how many hours of sleep female hockey players should get each night, but here are some general sleep guidelines for young athletes:

Age 7-9 yrs: 9.5 to 11 hours
Age 10-13 yrs: 9 to 10.5 hours
Age 14-18 yrs: 8.5 to 9.5 hours

Are you getting enough sleep to perform your best on and off the ice?

If not, how can you change your schedule so that you can get more?

Could you give up an extra hour or two of television or computer time each night in favor of a few extra hours of sleep?

No matter how hectic your on-ice and off-ice schedules get, you need to take the time to rest and recover. Sleep more – your body will thank you and your on-ice performance will improve.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim