New research on sleep and athletic performance reveals that having 2 extra hours of sleep can increase speed and reaction times in athletes, reports GT magazine.

Getting more sleep can have a dramatic effect on sports performance, according to a new study.

The research, released by Bensons For Beds, revealed that having just two extra hours in bed can increase speed by 15% and reaction times by 12%.

Conducted over two weeks, the study challenged members of Durham University Sports Team to five different sports tests, measuring reaction time, strength, pain, speed and endurance at different levels of sleep.

Participants increased their sleeping time from seven hours to nine hours, and found that they could withstand a third more pain as a result, leading to more effective performance.

Dr Guy Meadows, sleep expert and Founder of The Sleep School, said: “The results of this test are striking to see such a huge improvement in physical ability after increasing sleep by only two hours.

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