sports show: Mr Dismer, Mr Dietrich, they say sleep is the best way to regenerate. Has this area in competitive sports been underestimated for a long time?
Mirko Dismer: From our point of view, sleep is actually a topic that is in its infancy, which is a shame. Because the topic of sleeping does not only have the importance it should have for competitive sports, but also for the economy and society.
Nicklas Dietrich: The topic is enormously important from a purely physiological point of view, because we can only control the regeneration processes when we are asleep. In the deep sleep phase, for example, the hormones are released that control all repair processes in the body. In addition, sleep has a positive effect on cognitive processes and the immune system. To put it bluntly: Whether a player sits on the bike after a game, lies on the fascia roller or goes into the ice bath is less important for restoring performance than good sleep.
sports show: The learning and memory processes that take place during sleep are also important for athletes to prevent injuries?
Nicklas Dietrich: During sleep we regenerate both physically and mentally. Both aspects prevent injuries. I don’t think they can be separated at all.
sports show: The German national soccer players have been given seven specific sleeping tips, ranging from a dark sleeping environment to not consuming caffeine after 2 p.m. How did you go about it?
Nicklas Dietrich: At the beginning we tried to arouse interest. If the individual player develops a feeling that this can help him, the first step has been taken. There is a wide field behind every single tip: when it comes to the sleeping environment, it goes from the pillow, the mattress, the room temperature, the light sources to the background noise.
sports show: One tip to sleep better is to avoid blue lights two to three hours before you fall asleep. According to this, everyone’s smartphones should actually be off in the evening. How do you get that into the heads of young football professionals?
Nicklas Dietrich: Of course we have to deal with the habits of this generation of players. Around 30 percent of communication among young men and women takes place via digital media. We have to respect that, because social contacts are also an important factor for good sleep. But every phone has a Night Shift mode to filter out the blue light. And for those who like to hang on to the game console, we suggest switching off the console a little earlier before going to bed. In addition, we provide anti-blue light glasses. The feedback there is extremely positive.
sports show: There are people who swear by a glass of hot milk or sour cherry juice or two kiwis before bed.
Nicklas Dietrich: You would have to eat 100 tart cherries to really significantly increase your amount of melatonin, the sleep hormone. I think that has a lot to do with placebo. But if someone feels very comfortable drinking a glass of milk before bed, that’s perfectly fine. But one thing must not be forgotten: It is best not to eat anything at all two hours before going to bed and also not to drink too much. An empty gastrointestinal tract is one of the most important signals for the sleep system. Especially in tournaments, players spend a lot of time in strange beds.
sports show: Does the professionalization go so far that the DFB delivers separate mattresses?
Nicklas Dietrich: This is actually a big issue that we tackled at the EURO last year. We had pre-tested the pillows and tools to make the mattresses harder or softer. The preview also covered light sources in the rooms. A whole checklist is then processed. This also played a role in the visit to the Qatar district.
sports show: The national team also has a sleep expert in Anna West. What is she doing?
Nicklas Dietrich: We have been looking for such an expert with a wealth of experience in football for a long time. She works with that Brentford FC from the premier league together, advised ice hockey clubs and associations. She went through an evaluation sheet with some of the national team’s players and had individual interviews. For example, footballers can lose a lot of sleep when they cannot switch off because they are under a lot of pressure. Therefore, very individual coaching, which, like the work of a sports psychologist, goes beyond simple data collection, is helpful.
sports show: Is it actually a big difference whether a game at the World Cup in Qatar kicks off at 3 p.m. or 9 p.m.?
Mirko Dismer: Of course, late games don’t help to maintain his natural rhythm. It’s difficult when I fall into bed at two o’clock and then need another two hours to really fall asleep.
Nicklas Dietrich: At the World Cup in Qatar it is definitely an advantage that there are no longer flights waiting and that the journey home will be quite short, even after evening games. We introduced the rule in the national team that if we can’t be home before 1 a.m., we’d rather stay another night at the venue. But of course it makes a huge difference whether games take place in the afternoon or evening – if only because of the floodlights, which, together with the noise level of the spectators and the action on the pitch, actually completely overwhelms the nervous system. Therefore, sleeping after a game is the biggest challenge for many footballers. Winding down physically and mentally is a huge task.
sports show: Do the players actually decide for themselves when to get up the next morning?
Nicklas Dietrich: There is a period of time when players should come to breakfast. The regeneration sessions are usually scheduled for the morning, because the players basically give themselves a jet lag with a late game. If they then sleep until twelve o’clock, the rhythm is completely broken. We therefore advise you to sleep a little less, but to use this time effectively through the measures mentioned above. The aim is to be able to fall asleep faster after the game.
sports show: Does a well-rested team have a better chance of becoming world champions?
Mirko Dismer: It does matter, definitely, but better sleep doesn’t necessarily make you score more. We only create conditions for success. Many factors have an effect on this – sleep is a very important one to tease out the last percentage. But just by getting good sleep, I suddenly don’t have a better soccer team.
To person
Mirko Dismer, 31, heads the Performance, Technology & Innovation department at the DFB Academy. He played football himself up to the regional league.
Nicklas Dietrich, 39, initially worked at TSG Hoffenheim as an athletics trainer in the professional and youth sectors. Since September 2015 he has been part of the national team’s coaching staff as a fitness trainer.