Athletes need more sleep. Our comfort products can help.

Athletes are always on the go, on and off the field, and less sleep can mean more injuries. Players who got less than six hours of sleep per night had an increased rate of injury during games, according to a University of California study; making choosing comfort products conducive to sleep crucial. 

“When we design products, we keep athletes in mind,” said Contour Products President Scott Davis. “Our products aim to aid comfort by correctly aligning the body during sleep. This can not only prolong sleep, but help athletes recover when injuries do happen.”

Athletes often place sleep on the back burner. In highly trained team sport athletes, 50 percent of athletes were considered poor sleepers and 28 percent had daytime sleepiness in a recent study published in the European Journal of Sport Science. The study concluded that athletes needed to learn more about their sleep schedules, sleep longer, and have better quality sleep.

Injury is a common occurrence in sports. In collegiate football alone, 8 out of every 1000 players are injured, according to a National Collegiate Athletic Association report. The way players behave during recovery from these injuries is critical for their chances of playing again.

For longer sleep and shorter recovery time, players should consider how they sleep and type of injury. Comfort products are designed to target specific areas of the body: 

• Head, Neck, Shoulders, Upper Back: orthopedic pillow, cervical roll, bed wedge 

• Lower Back, Hips, Pelvis: lumbar cushion, leg support pillow, seat cushion 

• Legs, Knees, Ankles, Feet: leg wedge, knee elevation cushion 

“We want athletes to be as healthy and safe as possible, because both everyday exercise, and injury recovery time can have a huge impact on their success,” said Davis. “Our variety of comfort products can help.” 

The Contour Cool Leg Pillow was recently featured in 12 NFL players’ training camp bags. Check it out here.

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What Does the Future Hold for Russian Olympian’s Broken Spine?

Last week, the world watched as one of the world’s top athletes was rushed to the hospital after a nasty spill. It wasn’t a head or leg injury caused by the ill-landed ski jump, however, it was a broken spine. Maria Komissarova, a Russian athlete, was taken off the ski slopes by medical professionals after she lay motionless on the slopes (though she did sit up for a short amount of time.) While it’s never a good sight for athletes to fall – especially on such a competitive level – Komissarova’s might just be one of the most severe back injuries in Olympic skiing history. A spokesperson for the International Olympics Committee said Komissarova “fractured the 12th dorsal vertebrae in her lower-middle back.”

After the injury, she underwent an almost 7-hour emergency surgery, before being airlifted to Germany to receive specialized treatment. Officials have since declared the operation a “success,” yet giving few details about what’s next in store for the athlete. And though doctors and spokespersons alike are remaining mum about Komissarova’s recovery, it’s likely she’s in for months of painful therapy and treatments. A process that will help her in the long term.

The Long-Term Effects of a Back Injury

One of the biggest factors contributing to long-term back pains are the initial recovery stages. Depending on how one’s back heals in the first few weeks, and whether or not swelling becomes an issue, Komissarova’s – or anyone with a back injury’s – healing process could take very different paths. The future could hold years of skiing and moving with a healthy back, or it could mean ongoing pains and a spine that never quite works the same again. Perhaps that’s why officials are keeping quiet about the process. [ESPN]

Whatever the outcome, however, the IOC has made clear that they’re on the lookout for other athletes’ safety. By looking into new regulations, checking slope conditions, and more, they hope to prevent this or any other serious injury from taking place in the future.

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