From regulating hormones and rebooting our system, to improving energy reserves and protecting our immunity; it is no surprise that a good night’s sleep plays a crucial part in maintaining optimal health.
We often do not realise, however, that sleep also plays a vital role in sport and exercise recovery, with both quantity and quality sleep equally as important to strive for.
Research into the relationship between sleep and athletic performance, indicates that adequate sleep not only decreases our time to reach fatigue, it also reduces inflammation in our bodies, whilst also aiding muscle recovery, repair, and growth.
And the deeper the sleep? The more recovery we can achieve!
This is why an athlete, at any level, must prioritise post-training rest and sleep to stand the best chance of reaching maximum potential, avoiding injury, and providing their bodies with adequate time for muscle recovery.
But whilst we’re frantically searching for the best ways to achieve those all-important zzz’s, from avoiding technology close to bedtime, to modifying our dietary habits, we often neglect to consider a very simple solution- what we’re sleeping on.
Our Kally Sports Recovery Pillow is a world-first, full length, orthopaedic sports pillow that not only revolutionizes sleep quantity, but also quality.
We’ve collaborated with top sporting experts and pro-athletes, to design a pillow that finally puts your sleep in safe hands.
Improving the quality of your bedding can help to encourage a better all-round sleep; meaning you’re likely to hit that all-important deep sleep more frequently throughout the night.
And we’ve got a whole host of reasons why your pillow could be a game-changer in both performance and recovery.
Deep sleep and recovery.
Most of the recovery we achieve through sleep occurs when we’re in the deeper phases of our sleep-cycle (stages 3-4.) This is when our body can prioritize recovery.
However, research now indicates that REM sleep (achieved last in the sleep-cycle and requiring more frequent cycles of sleep to be achieved) can also improve the rate at which our bodies can recover, meaning we should always be encouraging maximum sleep-cycle potential.
Regardless of your training level, your recovery is key. Training breaks our muscles down during exercise, meaning we require our body’s ‘off-mode’ to do the work of building us back up.
With efficient recovery, you’re giving your body the best chance of training to maximum performance.
And the best way to get that deep sleep? Ultimate support and comfort.
Maximum support means maximum comfort and recovery.
We’ve all been there. You wake up in the morning, and something doesn’t feel right. Your neck is stiff, or perhaps your back suddenly feels as though it has aged 20 years, and you have absolutely no idea why.
Someone will always say ‘You must have slept funny!’, but what does that actually mean? More often than not, this is because our bodies are not being properly supported whilst we’re sleeping, resulting in that post-sleep stiffness.
Whether you favour sleeping on your side, back, or front, a poor quality pillow will leave you without support and waking up sore.
Our Kally Sports Recovery Pillow is made from hypoallergenic, high-performance TENCEL™ lyocell fibres and filled with supportive premium Hollowfibre; meaning the pillow will mould to your body shape, providing you with maximum support.
Its unique design puts your body in ‘neutral’, taking the pressure off of your major joints, such as your back, hips, and knees, whilst also improving the alignment of your spine, head, and neck.
Not only does adequate support to your joints and spine during sleep decrease your risk of post-exercise injury, but it also improves the speed and quality of your muscle recovery throughout the night. This means you can finally breathe a sigh of relief from those post-exercise body aches, pains, and strains.
You can also benefit from total support in the side-sleeping position.
Sleeping on your side has been known to aid digestion, improve breathing, and reduce snoring, which can improve sleep quality when properly supported.
Maximum sleep for athletes
We know that athletes need to prioritise their downtime, which is why we’ve combined minds with some of the best in the industry to provide a pillow that makes downtime even more pleasurable.
Research conducted by the Strength and Conditioning Journal suggests that athletes require more sleep than those who lead sedentary lifestyles. The more often, and intensely, you train, the more time your body needs to rebuild.
Therefore, making sure your pillow is the best it can be is an essential priority for rest after training.
And whilst we’re often tempted to splurge on expensive bedsheets, or google “best mattresses for bad backs”, a premium quality recovery pillow eliminates the need to sleep with anything else, even other pillows.
Need more reason to give it a go?
The lightweight, cooling, and breathable fabric makes post-exercise rest just that little bit more enjoyable, and there are a range of colours to choose from, as well as a re-washable cover.
In recent times, the benefit of orthopaedic pillows on sleep quality has become more widely recognised, with many more people beginning to make the swap.
Kally Sleep recognises how important investing in your sleep is, so if you’re struggling to find the support you need from your pillow, now might be the time to make the switch!
