30/10/2026
Can better sleep improve ultramarathon performance?
A new systematic review examined nine studies involving 2,262 ultrarunners.
The clearest finding was that runners who obtained more or better quality sleep before racing, including deliberate snoozes in the day, generally performed better or showed stronger cognitive performance.
More sleep during an ultra was associated with slower finishing times, but this does not mean sleeping makes you slower. Longer events create more need for sleep, while stopping naturally adds time. Most of the evidence is observational, so it shows associations, not cause and effect.
Coaching implications
✅ Protect sleep throughout race week rather than relying on one good night
✅ Consider gradually extending sleep before an important ultra
✅ Rehearse overnight strategies, including planned naps where appropriate
✅ Individualise the plan according to race duration, terrain and athlete experience
For shorter ultras, sleep may be unnecessary. In multi night events, refusing to sleep purely to save time could compromise judgement, coordination and safety.
Evidence quality is moderate, but not definitive.
A systematic review provides a useful overview, and the combined sample was reasonably large. However, the included research was predominantly observational, used varying sleep measures and cannot prove that sleep extension directly improves finishing time. The results support sensible sleep preparation, not a universal prescription, and something we practice at TRWM.
The main takeaway is that sleep is trainable race preparation. Protect it before the event and practise your overnight strategy before race day.
📄 Sleep Strategies and Performance Outcomes in Ultramarathon Runners: A Systematic Review
