Sleep Specialist Dr. Breus Says Sleep Deprivation Makes 'Pain Hurt Twice As Much'

In this installment of Secrets to Sleep Success with Michael Breus Ph.D., the good doctor explains how he was able to improve the performance of the San Francisco Giants by changing their sleep patterns.

Dr. Breus was recently enlisted to design a sleep program for an NBA team. In developing that program, he found that players and coaches experience a lack of energy, less testosterone and a decrease in human growth hormone when not getting the proper quantity and quality of sleep. That means that, without adequate sleep, dominating players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry will not only be sluggish on the court, but also slower to heal from their various injuries. Dr. Breus also revealed how many hours of sleep ballers need if they want to increase their free throw averages by as much as 12 percent.

The sleep specialist spoke of the serious consequences sleep deprivation also has on non-athletes, noting that for the sleep deprived, "pain hurts twice as much." Dr. Breus also weighed in on recent findings regarding how early wake up times hurt high schoolers' academic performance, the effect alcohol has on sleep, and the relationship between sleep apnea and obesity.

You can listen to the entire podcast here:

Mario McKellop is a freelance writer who has covered the pop culture beat since 2010.