I always aim to get around 8 hours sleep a night, and before/ after big events I try my best to increase this. As I begin to rest ahead of a big event, my training duration reduces so I have more time back in an evening which means I can get to bed slightly earlier. Even just 30 minutes can make all the difference. A recent article published in The International Journal of Sports Medicine outlines that extending your period of sleep can positively affect reaction times, your mood, sprint power and agility, accuracy, swim turns and kick stroke efficiency (Vitale et al,2019). Extending your sleep prior to a sporting event is known as ‘banking sleep’ and can positively help improve your performance and recovery.