Lack of sleep increases the risk of injury.

Madrid, November 2011- insomnia is one of the most frequent disorders today and in athletes can be particularly dangerous because the lack of sleep increases fatiguethat is derived in a more muscular fatigue while exercising and, therefore, the risk of injury increases. Insomnia has a negative impact on various aspects such as coordination, agility or mood, irritability increases and decreases the motivation.

Experts are becoming more aware of the influence of the sleep disturbances in athletes, because during the rest time are produced in the body multitude of processes that help the athlete to optimize its performance. Thus, medical services Sanitas – Real Madrid recommend sleeping from 8 to 10 hours of continuous sleep and includes in the routine of training guidelines and recommendations of rest.

However, many athletes can sleep little and still perform at a good level. Does not depend on the sport which is practiced only train hours that keep the dream. rest time after training is essential. Where it is not possible, it is advisable to make a resistance training, rather than power, that will allow a return to calm more easily the next day.

The findings of various studies collected by medical services Sanitas – Real Madrid indicates that athletes who sleep more hours, further improve your athletic performance, show an improvement in his mood and daytime sleepiness.

Under no circumstances should opt for self-medication. Any treatment should always be prescribed by a physician because there is the risk of appearing new alterations of sleep and even addiction.

It show the insomnia

Insomnia is a symptom that can be caused by various disorders, both physical and emotional, and that can manifest itself in different ways:

-difficulty sleeping

-waking up frequently during the night and with problems to go back to sleep

-wake up earlier than usual spontaneously

-subjective sense of no sleep

sleep problems can have originated on different factors such as anxiety, stress, coffee, feelings of competition, pressure marks or of parties, family, friends, the environment, public, emotions or by one’s ability of self-control.

Recommendations for better sleeping

– bedtime and wake up at the same time and use a suitable mattress

-do not consume caffeine from 6 hours before going to bed

-avoid smoking and drinking alcohol as minimum two or three hours before bedtime

-practice some sort of physical activity on a regular basis before bedtime

-eat at regular timesnot perform copious dinner and not drink large amounts of food or drink at least two hours before sleeping

-maintain a pleasant, 18 ° to 23 °, without noise, low-light and without environmental dryness

-wear comfortable clothing and little heavy sleeping

-combat stress during the day with interruptions of activity

-do not take NAPs during the dayavoid giving bridle ” in front of the television

-an attitude relaxed an hour before bedtime

– make bedtime activity slowdown, i.e., that does not require much effort and concentration. For example, 15 to 20 minutes of reading or soft music allows to reach the drowsiness more easily

-practise routines of relaxation at night: meditation, relaxation of muscles, or a warm bath of less than 15 minutes

-establish a routine before bedtime and perform her every day in the same order: take something warm, read awhile, brush our teeth, go to the bathroom

– If it is not reconciled sleep after 30 or 45 minutes approximately, is recommended out of bed and the room and do something relaxing and monotonous to feel sleep, and only then go back to bednot before
nutrition may also alter sleep

eating habits are one of the keys that can help or harm the reconciliation of the dream. reduce the consumption of beverages stimulants and alcohol, coffee or tea is the first step that affect the neurotransmitter responsible for slowing down the adrenaline.

Limit the intake of fats, especially of animal origin, because it makes digestion more slowly. It is preferable to avoid sweets and proteins that are accompanied by other substances such as meat, fish and eggs because they are slow to digest.

To promote the reconciliation of the dream and that this is more restful, medical services Sanitas – Real Madrid recommend consuming products with high content of calcium and magnesium, such as germ of wheat, leavening of beer, vegetables, wholemeal bread and nuts that contain vitamins of Group B and that are important for the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Group Sanitas

The Sanitas group, specializing in health and geriatric care, includes companies: Sanitas insurance, Sanitas hospitals, Sanitas Residencial and Sanitas new business. You sanitas insurance is the leading company with regard to private customers of insurance for medical care and health in Spain, with 1.98 million members. In 2010, its turnover was EUR 1.449,5 million.

sanitas hospital manages four hospitals and 69 medical centers multiespecialidad and dental. You sanitas Residencial is one of major attention to Spain largest companies, he has 41 residences throughout the country and has more than 5,000 residential spaces.

You sanitas more solutions for taking care of you offers a wide range of complementary services of health and welfare in their own centres and through centers Sanitas Mundosalud.