We just gained an extra hour over the weekend, so you may have caught up on a little sleep.

I’m sure that you’ve heard that it’s important to get enough sleep. Well, it’s even more important if you work out. When you exercise as dancers do, sufficient sleep helps you bounce back. Sleep is a time when the body does most of its repair work. Muscle tissues are rebuilt and restored by growth hormones that are secreted during sleep. In addition to building muscle tone, skin appearance also improves.

If you don’t get enough sleep, it can affect you physically. Coordination suffers and we also lose our ability do things with agility. It’s also hard to think clearly. Dance combinations challenge the brain, so it’s important to be well rested before tackling a dance class. Besides all of this, lack of sleep can make you hungry.

So, what is the right amount of sleep? It varies for each individual, but eight to ten hours seems to be the typical amount.
Make sure you get to bed at a reasonable hour, don’t power nap late in the late afternoon or evening, avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day, and avoid using the computer right before you go to bed (reading a book is a good idea).

Sleep tight!