We all know that many of us don't get enough sleep every night, and that it's related to serious health risks and problems. Old news; got it.

But instead of seeing sleep as a problem that needs to be fixed, maybe it's time to think of it as the secret ingredient to give us the edge.

We got together with Sleep & Sports expert Cheri Mah to create this infographic to show why athletes care so dang much about their sleep--and coincidentally, why you should, too.

Case in point

Just by googling some of the top athletes out there, we found that most of these high performers get much more sleep than your typical person.

The reason? Recovery.

When you're already at the top of your game, leveraging your sleep could be the way to beat the competition. If you know that being your mental and physical best gives you the better performance, wouldn't you try to repeat that, game after game?

2-year US Triathlete champ Jarrod Shoemaker knows it. Team Radioshack knows it. The Trailblazers and the Celtics know it, too.  For them, sleep can mean the difference between winning and losing.

But what about you? Have you made sleep part of your game plan for success?  Sure, you might not be in the NBA, but that MBA you have speaks volumes about your inner drive to live life to the fullest, not just putter along by the wayside.

Now it's your turn to step up and be a champ--all it takes is a little more sleep. Get all the details for better sleep, including Cheri Mah's Game Plan, below!