Sleep is for the Strong (Infographic)

"I love sleep. My life tends to fall apart when I'm awake." - Ernest Hemingway

As a rule, I don't consume caffeine. I rely on my sleep to prepare me to stay awake and energetic throughout the day (and night). When I am well-rested, I feel better and I can be at my best. When I'm low on sleep, I'm not my best self. I don't think as well and I don't move as well.

So, sleep is a big priority for me. It's on the same high-priority health list as regular exercise (using Core Flyte dynamic stability trainers of course!), proper nutrition (eating well and the right foods), and consistent hydration (drinking water throughout the day).

"Sleep is the best meditation." - Dalai Lama

It's common to hear sleep-deprecating expressions like "I don't have time for sleep" or "sleep is for the weak" or "I'll sleep when I'm dead" in both sports and business.

The data, however, proves otherwise. In truth, if we want to be bigger, stronger, faster, more efficient, and make smarter decisions, we need to be well-rested. Sleep improves our metabolism, expedites muscle recovery and growth, and increases fat loss.

SEE RELATED: 5 Reason You Must Sleep to be Fit

Our friends at Casper created a great infographic for us that includes the benefits of sleep for athletes. Some of the insights include: (1) better shooting percentage among basketball players, (2) quicker reaction time in games, and (3) faster 40 yard dash times among elite football players. Check out the graphic below and click here to learn more about a mattress designed to help us recover during sleep.

Sleep Tips for Athletes

"Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together." - Thomas Dekker

There's no shame in performing on a good night's sleep. Top performers do it. Olympians do it. Why shouldn't we? And, why not embrace sleep as the important factor to our health that it is and not something that's not macho enough to prioritize?

SEE RELATED: Aetna Pays its Employees to Sleep

How is your sleep important to you? What are you doing to make it a priority in your life? Feel free to post comments below or on our Facebook page or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO, Flyte Fitness

P.S. DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR FITNESS UPDATES! CLICK THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE!