If you’re someone who loves to get out for a run and you’re not sleeping well, this study is a wake‑up call.
Researchers from the University of South Australia worked with 425 recreational runners and found that those who slept less or had poorer quality sleep were nearly twice as likely to get injured compared to runners who got solid rest.
Sleep Duration and Quality Are Both Count
When the team dug a bit deeper, it wasn’t just how many hours the runners slept—but how well they slept and how consistent their sleep was.
Runners who reported frequent sleep problems, waking up during the night, or simply not feeling rested had a significantly higher injury rate.
In particular, the study found that those with unstable sleep were 1.78 times more likely to get hurt, and about 68 percent of those runners sustained an injury during a 12‑month period.
Why Resting Better Can Help Prevent Injury
Putting it plainly: if your body doesn’t get enough quality sleep, its ability to recover, stay alert, and keep up with the demands of training drops.
According to lead author Jan de Jonge, sleep is a vital but frequently ignored part of the training process.
When sleep is weak, tissue repair slows down, hormonal balance gets off, and focus slips—all of which boost the chance of a running‑related injury.
Why Runners Might Need to Prioritize Sleep More Than Non-Runners
This is especially important for runners because training often pushes the body hard, and many juggle work, family, and other commitments.
The researchers stress that more training isn’t always better if the sleep side of things is lacking.
Sleep isn’t just recovery — it should also be seen as a protective tool.
Tips To Boost Sleep For Better Training and Injury Prevention
Keep a regular bedtime, skip screen time before bed, limit caffeine and alcohol late in the day, and make sure your sleep environment is dark, cool and quiet.
Wear earplugs if you must, to block out noise from outside.
You can also consider running a fan for the same purpose.
These changes can help improve both sleep quality and duration, which may in turn help reduce the chances of getting injured.
Final Words
In short, for runners who are serious about staying healthy, improving performance, and avoiding downtime due to injury, sleep deserves more attention.
It’s not just about miles, speed, or recovery days — it’s also about how well your body is resting between efforts.
The research makes it clear: Better sleep equals fewer injuries.
So the next time you’re planning your training week, give your sleep schedule the same priority you give your running shoes.
You might just find that those extra hours of rest pay off more than any extra miles you log.
