If you’re coming to physiotherapy to recover from an injury, surgery, or chronic pain—exercise, hands-on treatment, and movement strategies are all essential parts of the process.
But what if I told you one of the most powerful tools for recovery happens while you’re asleep?
That’s right. Sleep is one of your body’s most important healing tools. It’s not just about feeling rested—it’s about letting your body switch into “repair mode,” where key hormones like growth hormone (GH) kick in to help rebuild tissues, muscles, and joints.
In this blog, we’ll explore how sleep, hormones, and healing are connected—and why your physio might start asking about your bedtime routine.
Meet Growth Hormone: Your Body's Repair Manager
Growth hormone (GH) is a natural substance produced by your brain (specifically, the pituitary gland). It plays a significant role in:
- Repairing muscles, tendons, and ligaments
- Stimulating bone growth
- Producing collagen (the stuff that keeps joints and skin strong)
- Helping your body burn fat and build lean muscle
But here’s the catch: your body produces the most growth hormone while you’re in deep sleep—especially in the first few hours after falling asleep.
If you’re not sleeping well, your body might be missing out on the natural healing benefits of growth hormone.
How Sleep Helps You Heal
Sleep isn’t just about shutting down for the night. It’s an active and organised process with distinct stages. One of the most important stages is called slow-wave sleep (also known as deep sleep), which usually happens in the early part of the night.
During this stage, your brain sends out signals that release pulses of growth hormone—and that’s when a lot of your physical repair happens:
- Muscle fibres get rebuilt after exercise or injury
- Tendons and ligaments start healing micro-tears
- Bones remodel and strengthen
- The immune system helps reduce inflammation
In short, your body works hard while you’re asleep—especially if that sleep is deep and uninterrupted.
What Happens If You Don't Sleep Well?
We all know what it feels like to be tired after a bad night’s sleep. But the effects go far beyond feeling groggy.
If you regularly get poor quality sleep or not enough of it, your body may:
- Produce less growth hormone
- Heal more slowly from injuries or surgery
- Experience more inflammation and pain
- Struggle to build strength and recover from exercise
- Have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can slow healing
Even just a few nights of poor sleep can impact your body’s ability to repair itself—especially if you’re also managing an injury, chronic pain, or a high physical load..
Why Physiotherapists Care About Your Sleep
At first, sleep might not seem like a physio issue—but how well you sleep can directly affect your rehab progress.
Whether you’re recovering from a rotator cuff tear, working through knee pain, or managing chronic back issues, your body needs downtime to:
- Build new tissue
- Reduce inflammation
- Replenish energy
- Support your nervous system (which affects how you feel pain)
As physiotherapists, we often ask patients about their sleep patterns—not to be nosy, but because it gives us clues about how your body is healing.
If you’re not sleeping well, we may give you:
- Sleep hygiene tips (e.g., bedtime routines, light exposure)
- Breathing or relaxation strategies to wind down
- Advice on how to time your exercise and recovery
- Referral suggestions if something more serious, like sleep apnea or insomnia, is suspected
Simple Tips to Improve Sleep and Support Healing
Want to make the most of your body’s natural recovery process? Here are a few ways to set yourself up for better sleep:
- Stick to a routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
- Limit screens before bed: Blue light from phones and TVs can block melatonin, a sleep hormone.
- Create a sleep-friendly space: Cool, dark, and quiet works best.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day.
- Try slow breathing exercises before bed—your physio can teach you a few!
- Keep naps short (20–30 minutes max), especially if you’re having trouble sleeping at night.
Final Thoughts: Sleep is Treatment, Too
Suppose you’re putting in the work at physiotherapy but not getting the results you expect. In that case, it’s worth asking: “Am I giving my body enough quality rest?”
Think of sleep as your nightly physiotherapy assistant—working in the background to help everything you do during the day take root. It’s free, it’s powerful, and it might be the missing link in your recovery journey.
So tonight, do yourself a favour: power down a little earlier, breathe deeply, and let your body do what it does best—heal.
References
Dattilo, M., Antunes, H. K. M., Medeiros, A., Mônico-Neto, M., Souza, H. S., Lee, K. S., & Tufik, S. (2011). Sleep and muscle recovery: Endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, 77(2), 220–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2011.04.017
Haack, M., & Mullington, J. M. (2005). Sustained sleep restriction reduces emotional and physical well-being. Pain, 119(1-3), 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2005.09.011
Irwin, M. R. (2015). Why sleep is important for health: A psychoneuroimmunology perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 143–172. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115205
Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (1999). Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function. The Lancet, 354(9188), 1435–1439. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(99)01376-8
Van Cauter, E., Leproult, R., & Plat, L. (2000). Age-related changes in slow wave sleep and REM sleep and relationship with growth hormone and cortisol levels in healthy men. Journal of the American Medical Association, 284(7), 861–868. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.284.7.861