Is your child a very active sports person? Do they get enough sleep? Have you ever wondered about how their sleep might affect their risk of injury in their chosen sport?
A study conducted by Milewski et al, and published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (2014), aimed to identify how sleep might affect sports injury risk in adolescent athletes. The study was based on a survey of students over a 21 month period.
Does lack of sleep increase their injury risk?
The study concluded that lack of sleep and increasing grade in school appear to be associated with increased injury risk in the adolescent athletic population! So while there are often multiple factors that can account for an individuals risk of injury, it is important not to forget things like sleep.
So how much sleep do they really need?
The Australian Department of Health released a “24 Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Young People (5-17 years) – An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep” in 2019. These guidelines essentially recommend an uninterrupted 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night for those aged 5-13 years and 8 to 10 hours per night for those aged 14-17 years. If you are wanting to know more about the other recommendations made by the Australian Health Department you can find further information on their webpage. Queensland Health also has more information in regards to Adolescent sleep.
If your Child is active but gets adequate sleep and you are still concerned about their injuries, please contact one of our friendly physiotherapists. They can assist your child to continue to participate or return to their chosen sport safely, while minimising their risk of future injury. To book an appointment please click here.