Introducing Dagsmejan Functional Sleepwear – be ready when it matters
Nobody would want to enroll in a competition without designed-for-purpose sportswear. Why should we settle for less when it comes to sleepwear?
This article is presented by Dagsmejan
Sleep quality, the key to athletic performance – make sure you are wearing the right sleep kit
Training and Recovery are the two sides of the same medal and striking the right balance is the key to progressive athletic performance and to avoid illnesses or injuries.
«Athletes who sleep less then 8hr per night on average have a 70% higher chance of injury compared with those who slept more than 8hr» (Milewski, 2014)
Sleep is our most important recovery tool. During the night our body performs the necessary repair work, reduces micro-inflammations, strengthens our immune system and consolidates new learning. Of utmost importance for athletes is the fact that muscles and tissues are rebuilt and strengthened in response to the previous day’s training or match impulses. Responsible for this wanted effect is the human growth hormone somatotropin (often called HGH for. "Human Growth Hormone"). HGH is a complex protein produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and is an important part of the body's endocrine system. HGH is released from the brain into the bloodstream during sleep and is responsible for growth, repair and regeneration work. HGH release occurs during Stage 3 and 4 of NREM sleep phases (Slow Wave Sleep or Deep Sleep) at night which accounts for about 15-20% of an average 8h sleep-night.
Numerous factors can play havoc to our deep sleep phases. Things like intense training sessions (or matches) in the evening or a heavy/spicy meal paired with alcohol can compromise those precious phases.
«On average, my infield work shows that 4 out of 10 persons have a tendency to get too hot during the night. Among athletes, this number goes up to 7 out of 10.» (Anna West, founder of Sleep2perform)
A very important, but often overlooked factor, is our natural thermoregulation. Next to melatonin which governs our homeostatic sleep propensity, our body controls our daily sleep-wake cycle through shifts in body temperature. To fall asleep our core body temperature needs to drop by about 1° while our distal temperature increases, until in the early morning hours when this cycle is reversing gear. While we sleep, our body uses small shifts in body temperature to guide our body through the 90-min sleep cycle which form our nightly sleep architecture.
If our natural thermoregulation is disturbed, our sleep quality and in particular our deep sleep phases suffer and even if we spend 9 hours in bed, our recovery is sub-optimal. Or oversimplified: no deep sleep, no muscle growth.
Inspired by functional sportswear, Dagsmejan together with materials scientists form Switzerland’s Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology and sleep researchers from Stockholm University, has developed a new kind of functional sleepwear, which optimally adapts to our physiological sleep needs. Tests carried out by 3rd party institutes have shown that Dagsmejan’s functional sleepwear is up to 8x more breathable and 4x better at drawing sweat away from the skin compared with a regular cotton pyjama. Furthermore, the fabrics are up to 4x softer on the touch, a key factor to avoid irritations on the skin, as we move up to 50x during the night.
«To choose a specific, technical clothing for sleep that helps the body to maintain an optimal sleeping climate is of utmost importance to me. I was already enthusiastic about the distinct sleep feeling after the first night and can recommend Dagsmejan to everyone, whether professional athlete or office employee.» (Ronnie Schildknecht, 11x Ironman Champion)
Validated through Sleep Chamber Testing
To cater to seasonality and individual preferences, Dagsmejan offers three different thermoregulating product lines—BALANCE, STAY COOL and STAY WARM— as well as a RECOVERY collection. Dagsmejan’s RECOVERY sleepwear is based on NATTRECOVER™ technology, where in addition to the thermoregulating properties, responsive energizing minerals within the fabric recycle excess body heat and convert it into natural far infrared energy, enhancing muscle regeneration.
«A good night's sleep is a decisive factor for our performance and especially for calling on top performance when it counts. Together with the Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science & Technology (EMPA), the young Swiss company Dagsmejan has developed a new type of functional sleepwear that is ideally suited to the physiological needs of the sleeping body. Personally I can highly recommend these products» (Dr. med. Patrik Noack, Chief Medical Officer Swiss Olympic Team, Swiss Triathlon, Medbase Sports Medical Center Abtwil)
All Dagsmejan sleep products are made out of finest natural fibers and sustainably produced in Europe with partners committed to highest oeko-tex standards.
More information about Sleep and athletic performance