So it’s always interesting when one’s personal and professional lives intersect. As one who preaches the importance of adequate sleep, I’m typically pretty good at heeding my own advice – fully aware of the importance of sleep to wellness, mental acuity and athletic performance. Sometimes, however, things don’t always work out. This past weekend, my younger daughter and I went on an overnight camping trip. We had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves (and the friends who accompanied us). We had ideal weather and spent Saturday night camped alongside the shoreline of a lovely lake. The problem was, the lake was home to who-knows-how-many Canadian Geese, all of whom spent the entire night making an unbelievable racket. I’ve never heard that much honking! Needless to say, it wasn’t the most restful night. What impressed me though, and the point of this story, was what happened after we returned home Sunday morning. I went for a bike ride and had perhaps half of my usual stamina. One night of poor sleep, and I wound up huffing and puffing my way thru my usual route. So to anyone interested in physical performance – don’t overlook your need for sleep. Recovery is an essential part of training, and sleep is an essential part of recovery.

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Sleep Deprivation by Dr. Craig Schwimmer