Unedited unabridged version of my column Run&Bee in Hindustan Times on 9th Nov 2019.

Week 73: Sleep better to run injury free and to recover sooner

Jon Bon Jovi screaming his lungs out is what my generation grew up listening to. He was simply corroborating what the society of the time believed in and practiced day in and day out in every sphere of life, whether it be at home, at work and even in sports. Rest and sleep was supposed to be for the weak.

I too, courtesy my running and medical training, was of the opinion that I could function at my peak with minimal sleep. But being a science student is about changing and accepting what evidence suggests. And experience backs it up as well.

Injuries while running, specially knee pain, is inevitable. It is not so much about ‘if’ but ‘when’. But most of the times it means nothing.

Also we know today beyond any doubt, backed by long term research studies that running doesn’t cause pain. It is running with poor form that leads to it. Other than that, one big mistake that everyone makes is that when the running bug bites them, they try to run as much as they can in as little a time as they can. Now that, sooner than later, leads to an injury.

There are now numerous studies showing that blunders are made by professionals like experienced pilots and surgeons, who are under high stress jobs, not necessarily when they are manoeuvring around the most difficult procedures, but at the end of a long day, doing very regular activities that they should literally be able to do with their eyes closed.

A research published online last week in The Journal of Rheumatology looked at visits of 2329 knee pain patients over a period of 5 years at multiple centres across the world. The authors, Dr Dai and his team found that better sleep quality was related to less worsening of knee pain.

There are four phases of sleep. Stage 1 is where you are drowsy and can be easily be woken up. In stage 2 heart rate slows down and body temperature reduces. Muscles also relax further in this stage. Stage 3, slow wave sleep, is deepest phase of sleep and it’s now difficult to wake someone from sleep. This stage of sleep is the most restorative. Stage 4 is random eye movement phase, the dreaming stage.

Normally a sleep cycle lasts 90-120 minutes and we have 4-5 cycles at night. But all 4 stages are important for a good quality sleep. Both cardiovascular exercises like walking, cycling, running and swimming, and strength training play an important role in improving your quality of life. This will further help with the pre-existing knee pain or one caused by running for whatever reason.

In addition to good dietary habits, you need to start following a sleep schedule such that you go to bed at roughly a certain time and get up at a certain time.

Cutting down use of phone right before bed is crucial. Strictly stop having coffee or tea late in day. Lying in the bed, tossing around when not able to sleep, actually makes it even worse. Take a bath before going to freshen up. Maybe read a book or do some skips, squats or push-ups, and you’ll soon feel ready for a sound sleep. The trick is not going to randomly attempt some of these things but having the discipline of doing it.

You need to remember at all times that running is like music.