Sleep banking can protect performance when pre-event sleep is poor

Sleep banking means extending sleep by about 60–90 minutes for several nights before an important event to build a reserve that reduces performance loss after a poor night.

Many athletes and other high performers report poor sleep the night before major events. A performance coach describes "sleep banking"—extending sleep across several nights before an important event—as a way to reduce the impact of one bad night. The approach first appeared in military and shift-worker research and is reported to be used in elite sport and other high-pressure settings. Some studies are reported to show that sleep extension can lower sleepiness and improve reaction time, mood, and certain measures of performance. What is known: - Sleep banking is described as adding roughly 60–90 minutes of sleep per night for several nights before a key event to build a reserve of rest. - The concept originated in research on military personnel and shift workers and is applied quietly by athletes and other high performers. - Quality sleep is linked with physiological recovery processes such as higher growth hormone, lower cortisol, brain clearance of metabolic waste, and muscle glycogen restoration. - Reported typical pre-competition patterns include earlier bedtimes and extended night sleep several days out, tapering training in the 48 hours before an event, calmer pre-event routines the night before, and short post-event naps for recovery. - Arriving under-recovered is reported to reduce reaction speed, decision accuracy, endurance capacity, and late-stage stamina, making margins tighter in high-level performance contexts. Summary: Sleep banking is presented as a preparatory approach that builds a biological buffer before high-pressure events rather than relying on one night's sleep. Reported benefits include reduced sleepiness, improved reaction speed and mood, and some protection for decision-making; the next steps for broader research and practice adoption are undetermined at this time.