ANN ARBOR, Mich. – For Tiffany Porter and Cindy Ofili, getting sufficient sleep was just one more hurdle to clear.
The sisters, who attended the University of Michigan, both represented Great Britain in the 100 meter hurdles at the Olympics in Rio.
"Sleep is a huge deal," said Porter. "I think it's actually a component that is sometimes overlooked by athletes."
"At this stage, everybody is accomplished. Everybody has a skill, so it's the little things that's really going to add up to what's going to separate us," said Ofili.
The sisters try to sleep eight to nine hours a night.
"You can train, you can recover, you can eat right, but if you're not sleeping adequately, you're not going to be recovering to your full potential," said Porter.
Porter's husband, Jeff, is a fellow hurdler, representing the United States in Rio. He admitted he relies on his wife to track his sleep, too -- something he appreciates now more than ever.
"When you're young, you think you're invincible. As you get older, you think, 'Maybe I'm not as invincible as I thought I was. Maybe I need to rest now and get eight hours of sleep,'" said Jeff Porter.
Michigan's Connor Jaeger is taking sleep tracking high-tech.
"Actually part of our training that we just started to really focus on, and it's kind of bizarre, is sleep," said Jaeger. "We've invested in some wearables. There is this new thing called Whoop, and it tracks our sleep every night, and we're actually learning a lot."
For Olympians, trying to balance the demands of training with school, jobs and family, it can be a real eye-opener.
"I know that I am not getting enough sleep, and it's shown that," said Jaeger. "That's the next step of my training. I have to actually sleep more."
Jaeger has plenty of company there.
"We're kind of a sleep deprived nation now," said Dr. Gary Trock, a sleep specialist at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.
Trock said the link between sleep and performance is well-established.
"School performance, athletic performance, mood affect physical well-being, cardiovascular health -- all those things are worse in people who don't get good sleep versus people who get good sleep," he said.
Trock is also a long-time triathlete, who swims, bikes or runs every day.
"If I had a poor night of sleep, it's really hard to push myself," said Trock. "I can't push as hard or be as focused on what I'm doing. Swimming takes a lot of focus to do properly, and I really can't focus as well when I'm sleep deprived."
So how do you know if you're not getting enough quality sleep? That's where today's fitness trackers can play a role.
Based on our movement during sleep, fitness trackers create a record of how much we're sleeping and also estimate how much time we're spending in deep sleep -- the stages of sleep that are more restorative.
Comparing that data to how you feel will help determine what changes you need to make.
"The best way to improve your own sleep is to follow what's called 'sleep hygiene,'" Trock said.
That includes:
- Having a regular sleep schedule and allowing enough time for sleep.
- Using the bedroom only for sleep -- not homework or other stressful activities.
- Avoiding device use before bed.
- Avoiding caffeine and alcohol too close to bedtime.
"Alcohol close to bed, caffeine close to bed are ways to disrupt sleep, cause less quality sleep,"Â Trock said.
While getting sufficient sleep may seem like an impossible dream, there is a big payoff.
"Between six and seven hours sleep is a huge difference for most people," Trock said. "If a person is having problems -- trying to lose weight or not so good performance at work, or their blood pressure is staying up despite taking medication -- sleeping six hours a night, to go to seven hours a night, there's a good chance those things will improve."
That's true whether you're an Olympic athlete or just trying to do your best in the marathon of life.
"As long as I get those eight hours, I feel recovered and refreshed and rejuvenated," Tiffany Porter said.
"When you get eight hours of sleep, you feel like heaven," Jeff Porter said.