Knowledgeable athletes, including distance runners, are well aware of the importance of getting enough sleep. World-class runners reportedly get much more than other people, and the mid-day nap is an important part of their routine.
Although I am not quite world-class (I am still working on it), I also endeavor to get enough sleep. Based on my experience, it's of extreme importance, but there are other things to consider. One is probably how much time before waking to begin the run. Of course, caffeine figures importantly into that equation. Also, the relationship between the amount of sleep the previous night before a run does not appear to be nearly as important as the overall amount of sleep over a period of days, perhaps even weeks.
I can go out for a run the morning after an awful night's sleep (this happened yesterday), and still have a decent performance. This often happens for races, as pre-race nerves can be a factor. Yet if I don't get enough rest (including naps) over several days, I know my running will also suffer. It's possible that the amount of sleep two nights before a run have a greater influence than that of the night before. In any case, I'm certain that the amount of sleep over a relatively long period of time is what's most important.
My own sleep habits have greatly improved since my retirement. A very rough estimate would put it in the neighborhood of an hour more per day. How has my running been affected? One shouldn't put too fine on this, but I think it's improved, perhaps a great deal. Volume, for sure. Speed, maybe not so much. But that may be entirely because of the increased volume. And it may not be so bad anyway. Most importantly, I have been largely injury-free.
And that's a good thing.
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