Smart mattresses continue to revolutionize our sleep, providing the perfect conditions for quality rest and recovery all night long. So it’s little wonder that 83% of NFL players, including Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce (and, more than likely, his superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift, too), sleep on a Sleep Number smart mattress to help them reach peak performance in the lead up to the Super Bowl and beyond.
During sleep, your body releases human growth hormone which catalyses muscle recovery for optimal athletic performance. So it's essential athletes get the rest they need, and this begins with a quality mattress. Our guide to the best mattresses of the year includes options for all sleep styles, with top rated memory foam, hybrid and organic options.
However, the best smart mattresses from sleep tech brands like Eight Sleep and Sleep Number are becoming more popular among top-performing individuals, including professional athletes who want to optimize their physical recovery and track their health metrics. But is a smart mattress a worthwhile investment for amateur athletes? Here, I'll explore the science behind how a smart mattress can improve sleep duration and boost muscle recovery.
What is a smart mattress?
A smart mattress is a mattress with integrated technology to super charge your sleep. These mattresses tend to be customizable and laced with sensors to help you sleep more comfortably and monitor what goes on inside your body overnight.
They can track your sleep patterns, body movements, heart rate, breathing and body temperature and adjust the temperature, firmness, and incline of the mattress based on your sleep patterns and needs.
How a smart mattress can boost athletic performance
From maximising sleep duration to promoting faster muscle recovery, there are several ways a smart mattress can help you rest well and perform at your best. So how exactly does a smart mattress work this magic?
Improve sleep duration
With customizable comfort and temperature options at your fingertips via a remote or smart phone app, smart mattresses enable you to create a sleep environment suited to your individual preferences. If you sleep hot, you can cool your mattress down; if you need extra cushioning on pressure points, you can make your mattress softer. This helps you find your most comfortable sleep position and optimal sleep temperature, so you can fall asleep fast and sleep through the night.
Professional athletes generally lead busy lives, balancing strict training schedules with travel, media appearances and other commitments. Similarly, people who juggle an intense exercise regime alongside a full-time job or caring responsibilities also have tight schedules. Therefore, it is important for athletes, professional or amateur, to get quality rest in when they can, and this is where a smart mattress can help. Reducing your sleep latency (the time it takes you to fall asleep), these mattresses help you sleep for longer, giving athletes' bodies more time to recover between training. Essentially, smart mattresses ensure you get the most out of your time in bed. Quality ZZZs in, tossing and turning out.
Boost sleep quality
The main aim of smart mattresses is to improve your sleep quality. Alongside reducing your sleep latency (which is the time it takes to fall asleep), most smart mattresses actively adjust to your body's needs throughout the night, optimizing your comfort level through features like temperature regulation, firmness adjustments and personalized sleep tracking. Preventing overheating and reducing strain on the back and joints, smart mattresses minimize sleep disruptions caused by discomfort, allowing for deeper, more restorative sleep.
Plus, most smart mattresses have dual control, meaning your side of the bed can be a different temperature or firmness level to your partner's. This means you won't have to come to an uncomfortable compromise and can each get quality sleep night after night.
Better muscle recovery
Helping you find your ideal sleep position through adjustable firmness and head and foot elevations, smart mattresses like the Sleep Number Climate360 ensure your body is supported, spine is aligned and pressure points are cushioned throughout the night. This reduces stain on your joints and muscles, preventing aches and pains and allowing them to repair.
Plus, temperature regulating smart mattresses and mattress covers, like the Eight Sleep Pod 4, ensure you remain cool during the night. When your body temperature drops slightly during sleep, it signals the body to enter deeper sleep stages and increase blood flow, which research shows are optimal for muscle repair.
How does sleep affect athletic performance?
Deep sleep is associated with increased growth hormone secretion, a vital hormone for muscle growth and repair, aiding athletes' recovery. However, their cognitive function and ability to concentrate during sports games and competitions is also dependent on quality sleep. Playing a major role in upholding physical strength, mental health, reaction time and decision making, good sleep is essential for athletes to perform at their best.
Several studies have shown adverse impacts of sleep restriction on athletes' anaerobic power, cortisol levels, sprint times, glycogen concentration in the muscles and strength. Additionally, the study shows insufficient sleep duration may increase the risk of injury as participants sleeping less than 8 hours a night were 1.7 times more likely to have had an injury than those who slept more then 8 hours. All in all, sleep is integral to an athlete's recovery, enabling them to reap the benefits of their training.
