Sleep Specialist for Athletes in Westmoreland County
Sleep Medicine for Athletes
All athletes, professional or amateur, face many obstacles that prohibit them from performing. Demanding schedules, school work, endorsement deals, families, practice schedules and the constant stress put on them by their coaches to maintain a level of excellence are just a few. One thing that stays consistent throughout the athletic arena that is most commonly overlooked is the concept of what a huge impact sleep can have on performance and results. When the importance of sleep for athletes is acknowledged, the possibilities for peak performance are endless.
Westmoreland Sleep Medicine can help you if you feel that you are suffering from a possible sleep disorder that is preventing you from performing up to your expectations as an athlete. Dr. Jain provides the most comprehensive testing procedures and facilities in the area, and he'll work directly with you and your team to craft the perfect sleep plan for you.
If you're ready to start getting the sleep you need to be an exceptional athlete with the top sleep doctor Greensburg, PA has to offer, call Westmoreland Sleep Medicine today and let us help get you back on track. With Dr. Jain's expertise and knowledge of sleep medicine for athletes, you can gain clarity and focus, allowing you to crush your goals and reach your full potential as an athlete.
Sleep Disorder Treatment for Athletes
Sleep for Athletes: Why Is It Important?
Sleep and sports performance has now been found to link significantly to one another. Athletes are asked to perform consistently each day that they compete. This is sometimes a daunting task in that to perform well, many aspects of the athletes make-up must fall in place in order for them to maintain the expectations set for them. One factor that seems to reappear during every study done on athletes and consistency in performance is sleep and how it affects the athlete if their sleep habits aren’t consistent and the amount of sleep that is required is not being met.
When it comes to training for an athletic event, sleep regimens become a standard part of the strategy. Research shows that people who exercise usually sleep better, but in some situations, this is not the case with sports that involve extreme exertion. Elite athletes who train rigorously have been found to have sleep patterns that change through their cycle of training. The cycles of training and recovery through sleep ultimately depends on the sport. Training a power athlete such as a football players is a lot different than training an endurance athlete such as a long-distance runner. An endurance athlete is going to have a much higher level of training simply due to the need for increased cardiovascular efficiency, but ultimately both styles of athletes will require different recovery needs through sleep. It is widely agreed upon by many trainers and athletes alike that sleep is the foundation of recovery and all other aspects of recovery revolve around that.
Simply put, if athletes do not devote enough time to sleep, their ability to recover from their training suffers, and performance soon follows. With enough sleep, sports performance is shown to increase significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do athletes commonly struggle with sleep?
Different players of different sports can have their sleep affected in different ways. Football players, baseball players and any other sport that requires rigorous training find themselves very susceptible to the consequences of untreated sleep problems. Baseball, basketball and ice hockey players travel a lot which throws off their circadian rhythms due to jet lag. Going in and out of different time zones affects the amount and quality of sleep that they get.
Football players suffer performance issues due to other reasons caused by sleep – most notably “sleep apnea”. A lot of the players are larger in stature and normally have neck sizes greater than 17-18” in diameter, thus crowding their airways and narrowing their passage to breathe which affects their ability to maintain a patent airway during sleep. Once the airway size has been compromised the oxygen status also drops significantly and the body cannot function properly without the correct amount of oxygen in the system. This will ultimately disrupt sleep due to the body’s normal mechanisms that stimulate the patient to wake due to the fact it recognizes that the person is not breathing and oxygenating properly. This process can happen many times a night causing sleep to be very disruptive and non-refreshing.
Can you provide a CPAP machine for athletes?
Yes, we can provide CPAP machines for athletes. Dr. Jain can work with you to determine the best type of machine and settings for your individual needs. Our goal is to find a solution that works best specifically for you, so you can get the restful sleep necessary to reach your peak performance as an athlete.
Does your sleep specialist near me accept insurance?
Yes, Dr. Jain is in network and accepted by all major health insurers including Highmark BCBS, UPMC, United, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Tricare, Medicare, Medicaid and Advantra. To view our full list of accepted providers, visit our Insurance page, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff with any questions.
How can I get started with the best athletic sleep doctor near me?
Westmoreland Sleep Medicine makes it easy to get started on your road to better sleep. Just use our online scheduling tool to request your first consultation with Dr. Jain at a time that’s right for you.