Sleeping Well Helps You Avoid Injury

No one likes to get hurt. An injury can derail your fitness progress, cost you money in medical bills and lost wages, and take up a whole bunch of time to heal. And it hurts, too! Most people would agree that avoiding injury is always a good thing.

While there are many things that you can do to keep from getting hurt, like being careful, paying attention to where you are going and your environment, and making smart choices, one way of avoiding injury may surprise you. Did you know that you can lower your chances of being injured simply by getting plenty of rest? It’s true.

Avoid Injury at Work

Work injuries are more likely to happen to people who are having sleep problems. Researchers reviewed several studies to come to this conclusion. In fact, 13% of injuries that happen on the job can be attributed to sleep problems.

Of course, work injuries are more prevalent in some fields than in others. If you work a job where you operate heavy machinery or other complex equipment, you’re more likely to be injured than someone who works at a desk. However, injuries still occur there, and being sleep-deprived makes them all the more likely.

Avoid Injury on the Field

Athletes are less likely to be injured on the field when they are well-rested, too. In fact, adolescent athletes who got at least 8 hours of sleep at night were 68% less likely to suffer an injury.

Researchers are not entirely sure why sleep and injury rate correlate here. It’s possible that the extra sleep allows the body to better recover from previous physical activity. With enough sleep, tissues should be at peak form every time an athlete is on the field. Rest may also be tied to coordination and judgment skills, both of which are better when a person is well-rested. These skills may keep an athlete from situations where he would be injured.

Avoid Injury in Your Car

Drowsy driving causes up to 6,000 fatal car accidents every year. This number doesn’t include accidents where a drowsy driver caused injuries or other trauma. Clearly, sleeping well can help you avoid auto accidents, too.

Driving while tired may seem like a limited problem, but it’s actually huge. 1 in 25 drivers has fallen asleep behind the wheel in the last 30 days. When you think about how many people drive and how much time they spend on the road, this is a problem! Ensure that you don’t contribute to it by doing everything you can to only drive when rested. If you’re tired, stay off the road!

Protect yourself and those you love from injury by getting enough sleep. Make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and that you are resting in an environment well-suited to sleep. It can take some work and intention to find ways to sleep long and well every night, but it’s worth it when you know that you aren’t endangering yourself or those around you.