Sleep is a different beast for Alex "Spiff" Sedrick and Lucas Lacamp. These two aren't just any athletes: they're Olympic athletes who play on the US' women's and men's rugby teams. The world will be watching them during the 2024 Paris Games, which run from July 26 to August 11. But behind the scenes, Sedrick and Lacamp will prepare by doing something that even the most ordinary of us do: sleep.
Their training is grueling. They push their bodies and minds to the maximum in nearly every way to prepare for and compete in the Olympic Games in Paris. Not to mention, jet-setting around the globe has required them to perfect how to sleep on a plane.
Despite living with different stakes, Sedrick and Lacamp aren't all that different from the rest of us when it comes to sleeping. It's a biological process we all share, but that doesn't mean we're all particularly good at it. I had the chance to talk to Sedrick and Lacamp about the importance of sleep and what they do to sleep well against all odds.
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Sleep is an essential part of top performance
Sleep is one of the most important things we do for our bodies. It's critical for several aspects of our lives, including the immune system, memory, mental health and athletic performance.
When you don't sleep well, you're not at your best. You're fatigued and under a haze of brain fog. It's more than just feeling off. Poor sleep will impact your daily functioning. For example, it can compromise your ability to retain and recall information.
It also makes it harder to cope with stress and slows your reaction time, which Sedrick mentioned was something she had experienced.
"You want to be intentional with your movements. Your body's just not being as snappy as you'd like to. It just doesn't seem like your muscles are firing as they normally would, and it's really frustrating," Sedrick explained. "It's like your body just won't perform the same way that it does on good sleep."
Another big concern for athletes is how pivotal sleep is for muscle growth and injury recovery. While we sleep, the body releases hormones to regulate inflammation and repair and build muscle cells. Additionally, cortisol levels drop during sleep, halting cortisol from breaking down tissues for energy. If athletes like Sedrick don't sleep, bouncing back from injuries would be much more difficult.
Despite operating in a lifestyle where sleep is arguably one of the most important things, both Sedrick and Lacamp identified things that can make sleeping difficult. Let's dig in.
5 sleep challenges Olympic rugby athletes face
Intense training
When it comes to athletics, it's hard to start anywhere else other than physical training. Everyone's had those workouts that set you up for the perfect night's sleep, where you fall into bed and sleep like a baby. Unfortunately, regular exercise, especially intense training for professional sports, can sometimes backfire on your sleep quality.
Sedrick explained that because they train harder and longer than the average person, Olympic athletes have a team of training staff to make sure they don't push their bodies past the point of recovery.
"We play contact a sport. We're in a high-stress environment. It's a lot on the body. So, some of it is to be expected. But usually, we are monitored very well so that we don't get to that point," said Sedrick.
Sedrick and Lacamp expressed that sometimes, the physical toll games and training take on their bodies can make finding a comfortable position difficult.
"If I've got a little contusion or my legs are burning, that's definitely another thing that affects my sleep, especially if I've managed to get to sleep and then roll over, and I've got a big cut on my leg," Lacamp said. "The sheet sticks to my cut, which always is one of the worst things. You gotta peel it off."
High stress levels
Having not been in the Olympics (or even slightly close in any respect), I can only imagine the stress they are under. Besides the obvious impacts on mental health, elevated stress levels can also significantly impact the quality of sleep Olympians get. Lacamp confirmed as much. "The mental side of it is a huge factor."
For all of us, stress and anxiety can form a vicious cycle. The physical and mental toll of stress can make it hard to fall asleep. Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep can amplify anxiety symptoms and make it harder to cope with stress.
"It definitely plays a lot in my mind, and ways to overcome the mistakes that I made. It's something that plays in my head and keeps me up," Lacamp.
A changing sleeping environment
Anyone who has traveled knows how hard it can be to sleep somewhere new. Now, multiply that by a thousand, and we might be able to grasp what it's like to be an Olympic athlete who is always on the go, traveling and playing rugby in different countries.
From the cardboard beds of the Olympic Village to sharing a room with someone who snores, a lot can disturb their sleep, especially if you're a light sleeper like Lacamp. That doesn't mean they accept bad sleep.
"Some of the hotel curtains might not be the best, and the walls can be pretty thin. So depending on where we are, I use an eye shade and earplugs," said Lacamp.
Sedrick stressed the importance of her sleep environment. Not only to be dark but also temperature. "If it's not a cool 68 degrees, it might be a little bit more difficult for me to get some quality sleep."
These aren't just personal preferences. Light and temperature are two fundamental factors our bodies use to regulate sleep. The sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm is naturally in line with the rise and fall of the sun. When exposed to light, our brain suppresses melatonin production to keep us awake. As it goes down, melatonin floods the brain, and we get tired.
Thermoregulation is the other part. The body's internal temperature signals the brain when it's time to fall asleep. Body temperature has to drop for this signal to be sent off. This change isn't drastic, only a degree or two. Still, it makes a big difference. A cold room will ensure your body temperature doesn't rise too quickly and wake you up.
Traveling between time zones
One of the most disruptive elements of an Olympic rugby athlete's schedule is all the traveling. It's not hard to imagine why. Stepping on the plane in one time zone and stepping off in another adds a unique layer of difficulty, especially for people as busy as Sedrick and Lacamp.
Sedrick shared that the women's rugby team gets a sleep schedule sent out by the coaches that details like how to optimize REM sleep, when to take naps and how to avoid blue light. It helps them prioritize sleep while adapting to grueling schedules.
Even still, the changes can make it difficult to plan naps or anticipate energy drops. "When we're traveling, and we're doing work overseas, it's like once you wake up, you need to try to stay awake for as long as possible, or it's going to be really hard to acclimate," Sedrick said.
That doesn't mean they're against napping while traveling. Sedrick explained that some players on the women's rugby team require a nap while others prefer to tough it out. As Lacamp told me, you can prepare as much as possible, and it's still a struggle once you get there. He's found something that works for him.
"A little thing I like to do if we have a long flight is stay up as long as possible, so I'll get less sleep in my bed, but then I can sleep on the plane, which tends to help my transition into different time zones," he said.
Eating new foods
One potentially unexpected factor impacting an Olympic athlete's sleep is diet.
"Here at home, we're in a lot of control about what we can take in, and where we know it's coming from, and all that," Sedrick said. "So getting a different diet can affect digestion, which also affects how we sleep and the timings that we're able to eat as well."
In the same way your diet impacts how well you sleep, your sleep habits can also inform your food choices. This is where Olympic athletes' stricter sleep schedule and focus come in handy. The rest of us have to be careful. Poor sleep might lead to unhealthy food choices and increased consumption. It's not just poor self-control at play; there's a hormonal reason this happens.
Studies have found that the hormone that maintains energy balance and inhibits hunger, leptin, is down when sleep is compromised. Conversely, the hunger hormone ghrelin increases.
Tips for better sleep from USA Olympic rugby players
As Sedrick explained, Olympic athletes have various resources from coaches and training staff to ensure they get the best sleep possible to perform in the Olympic games. The average person doesn't have that level of granular tracking, but that doesn't mean you can't take advice from the pros to kick your bad habits to the curb.
Acknowledge your stress
Sedrick explained that the athletes work with their team sports psychologist to battle the stress they are under. We all deal with stress and anxiety, even though it's not the same as what an Olympic athlete experiences. Acknowledging it is the first step in ensuring it doesn't ruin your sleep, which is exactly what Sedrick does.
"We can't always be controlled like what we're thinking. But how we react," Sedrick said. "It's more so recognizing that thought and being aware of it, and choosing to either release it, acknowledge it or accept it."
After you acknowledge that you are stressed, it's time to deal with the physical symptoms that might keep you up at night. For instance, Lacamp uses a long-celebrated method for easing stress: breathing exercises.
"If I'm overthinking about things, I'll just try and use a couple of breathing techniques to clear my mind. Instead of having all the thoughts and ideas bouncing off inside my head, I'll try and clear my head using those techniques," says Lacamp.
Other ways to limit stress's impact on your sleep include using meditation apps, journaling and sleeping with weighted blankets.
Cherish your nightly routine
Sedrick said that her biggest sleep tip for the average person is to establish a nightly routine. Despite being hesitant to do it herself at first, Sedrick explained that her body responds well to routine and winds down around the same time each night because of it.
"Obviously, you might have events where you'll be staying out later. But even on off days and weekends. I usually wake up around the same time, within 30 minutes of when I would usually wake up for a training day," Sedrick said. "That's really helped my body recover and have more consistent sleep throughout the night."
If you don't know where to start, Sedrick suggests a warm shower or trying something relaxing to help decompress. It could be reading a book or practicing yoga for sleep. Or if you're like Lacamp, you could choose to listen to music. The most important part of your routine is to treat sleep time as sleep and avoid distractions.
Invest in sleep accessories when you need them
Using sleep accessories is another hack favored by Olympic athletes. From cooling pillows to blackout curtains, there are many options available to you.
If you're traveling like an Olympic athlete, consider an eye mask. Sedrick said it was one of her favorite sleep accessories because it not only blocks out light but also provides an amount of compression she finds comfortable.
Lacamp said listening to music is one of his best sleep habits while traveling. "Depending on how loud it is, especially for a plane, I'll just listen to music. I do find it quite calming and it distracts my mind," Lacamp added.
Read more: Best Headphones for Sleep
Try sleep aids
Sleep aids are another tool for recovering from poor sleep. They aren't designed for long-term use, but they are an effective way to promote sleep when needed. The most popular sleep supplement is melatonin, available in capsules, teas, gummies and dermal patches.
Melatonin isn't for everyone. Lacamp, for example, shared that melatonin can leave him feeling groggy the next morning. Instead, he uses tart cherry.
"Tart cherry is all-natural, so it doesn't give me any grogginess in the morning, which is great," he added.
Try tart cherry in supplement form, or mix up a sleepy girl mocktail with tart cherry juice.
Change your sleep time with care
When traveling or starting a new job that requires you to change your sleep-wake time, the adjustment can be brutal. For example, Dubai is one of the most difficult shifts for athletes. It's a twelve-hour shift, so it's essential to do it correctly to bounce back.
According to Sedrick, athletes use the week before travel to adapt their sleep schedule slowly to acclimate better.
"We will wake up 30 minutes before we usually do, and we'll go to bed 30 minutes before we usually do it," Sedrick said. "And then the next day, 30 minutes from there as well. Until we get to whatever destination we're going to."
Using 15 to 30-minute increments will help the transition feel as seamless as possible.
Too long; didn't read?
Sometimes, it feels like the odds are stacked against us for sleeping well. From daily stressors to being glued to our phones, there are dozens of things getting in the way of quality sleep. As I discovered, Olympic athletes aren't all that different from us… sort of.
From the charity events and appearances with flashing lights and loud crowds to the contusions from playing a contact sport, a lot keeps Sedrick and Lacamp up at night. They do their best to overcome it. The average person might not be able to relate to flying out to Dubai or competing in the Olympic Games, but these tips and tricks will still help you sleep better.