Sleep

[plain lazy]

I'm not very good at going to bed at a sensible time. For instance it's 23:30 as I type this. I've never been very disciplined at getting early nights, I just seem to cope with 5 or 6 hours sleep and get on with things.

Does anybody have any experience with what difference a good sleep routine makes? Can I improve my performance (O or otherwise) by getting more sleep?

Will I be able to train better? Will I navigate better? Will I sleep better?

[Street]

Kristian Jones (JWOC Silver Medalist) was rumoured to sleep 36 hours a day in preparation for the races

[LostAgain]

Kristian Jones (JWOC Silver Medalist) was rumoured to sleep 36 hours a day in preparation for the races

Who with?

I take it she was rampant

[plain lazy]

Serious replies would be appreciated too

[andy]

try it?

I don't know about the effects of reduced sleep on O but surely it depends on how you feel, do you feel tired all the time? If so it's probably a diet or lack sleep problem. I drink too much caffeine which is probably why I'm more tired. I usually get 7+ hours of sleep a night

[EddieH]

Well asyou clearly don't need so mch sleep you've presmably suffered much less than the 8 hour brigade with the baby. getting you up at night.

[usuallylast]

I'm not very good at going to bed at a sensible time. For instance it's 23:30 as I type this. I've never been very disciplined at getting early nights, I just seem to cope with 5 or 6 hours sleep and get on with things.

same here, though I think it will take more than a good night's sleep to improve my orienteering....
Current thinking is that the need for 8 hours sleep is a myth - apparently people used to get up after a few hours sleep and do chores (and other things!) then go back to bed. I suspect this was in the days when you went off to bed at sunset.
However, I have noticed that I often feel worse if I've gone back to sleep rather than got up after waking early. You risk going back into a deep sleep and feeling really dopey if woken in the middle of it, and the effect seems to last all day. Surely not good for race performance.

[plain lazy]

try it?

I don't know about the effects of reduced sleep on O but surely it depends on how you feel, do you feel tired all the time? If so it's probably a diet or lack sleep problem. I drink too much caffeine which is probably why I'm more tired. I usually get 7+ hours of sleep a night

I do feel tired a lot of the time, especially at work. I just find it hard to make myself go to bed when I've not had much downtime in a day.

EddieH - I am in a fortunate situation with our wee 2 year old, he's a champion sleeper, gets that from Mrs Plain Lazy I suspect. So I don't get woken up too often in the middle of the night...

[Big Jon]

Everyone has a need for a certain amount of sleep but it can very widely from person to person. From my own experience the one certainty is that more training makes more sleep necessary.

[frog]

I find if I've had a couple of nights of only 6 hours sleep I then need a night of 9 or so to catch up which is why I only work afternoons Wed and Th. I suspect if you've gone for years on 5 or 6 you don't need more or you'd have started going to bed earlier because you'd be fed up of feeling crap or would have changed to a job where you can get up later.