Routines with constant sleeping and waking times, even on days off, help. It is best to distribute the liquid intake throughout the day and reduce it in the evening – it goes without saying that a lot of alcohol does not promote sleep.
Sweating can be reduced at night with functional underwear. Blue light, for example from a mobile phone or PC, should be avoided in the last two or three hours before falling asleep because it suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin. Consume caffeine before 2 p.m. if possible. And the naps should not last longer than half an hour, otherwise a deep sleep phase will set in.
Janina Hettich pays a lot of attention to the mattress
Janina Hettich also relies on a mix of these recommendations: “First of all, there are general things to look out for: constant sleeping and getting up times, a cool room climate between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius, not going to bed on a full stomach, caffeine only until noon, relaxation an hour before sleep, none excessive alcohol in the evenings. If you follow these rules alone, you usually sleep better.”
In addition, says the biathlete, the choice of mattress is extremely important. But they are a science in themselves. She herself relies on mattresses with a pyramid structure. Here, however, say experts, basically everyone has to look for an individual solution for themselves.
Injuries caused by not getting enough sleep – the example of 1. FC Nürnberg
Matthias Brem, the long-time team doctor at 1. FC Nürnberg, who worked for the “club” for a total of 14 years, has just described how harmful it can be for a professional if he sleeps badly and too little.
At a training event for sports physicians last Saturday (March 19, 2022) in Mainz, the 45-year-old spoke about how footballers deal with the topics of nutrition, regeneration, but also sleeping.
In the case of a player from Brazil, whose name Brem naturally did not name, the doctors were suspicious of the susceptibility to injury, but also the constant tiredness in Bundesliga times. As soon as the South American was back on the pitch, he picked up another injury.
Investigations revealed that he spent nights communicating with his family in Brazil via Facetime. brake: “He often only slept for two hours, so it was clear to us what caused his many injuries.”