Ensuring good sleep to prevent slip-ups: India appoints expert to strengthen medal hopes in Paris Olympics

Imagine you’re an athlete. It is the night before the Olympic final of your event. All the hard work of the four-year Olympic cycle – right from the qualification process – has led to this.

A good night’s sleep is all you need before you produce the performance of your life on D-Day. However, you just can’t. The anxiety, the nervousness and the pressure of expectations of the entire nation keep your mind running when it should rest and therefore, you are unable to sleep.

To avoid such a scenario at the Paris Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association, for the first time, will have a sleep expert with the contingent. Dr Monika Sharma has been in touch with IOA since last December and will be there in the French capital to help the nation’s athletes.

“It started with my work at Sleep Moksha (a sleep wellness clinic in Panchkula, Haryana). They (IOA) noticed the impact of my sleep optimisation program for athletes. They approached me and asked if we could replicate the same benefits for our national athletes, ensuring they get rest as they need to excel at the highest level,” said Dr Sharma, revealing how she came on board for the Olympic journey.

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Sleep is one of the vital components of an athlete’s recovery process for physiological and cognitive reasons. In sports with marginal gains, it can make a significant difference. However, a modern athlete’s life, which involves all kinds of commitments, can make it extremely tough to maintain a healthy sleeping habit. 

“In my interactions, athletes usually complain that it takes them time to fall asleep and it often breaks as well, especially for those who do not have a sleep strategy,” said Dr Sharma, who has 14 years of experience in Behavioural Sleep Medicine.

Factors such as jet lag, different time zones and unfamiliar surroundings also lead to a struggle to get good sleep. Therefore, preparation is important. 

Under Dr Sharma’s guidance, the Indian athletes have been receiving sleep training according to their needs and schedules. Some have already travelled to Europe to adjust to the time zone and conditions similar to those expected in Paris. 

“The IOA has also made some noble investments to help the athletes in managing their sleep,” told Dr Sharma.

The athletes will have a sleep travel kit which comprises eye masks, ear plugs and neck pillows. 

Athletes will have the facility of sleep pods.
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They will also have the facility of sleep pods. “Just in case an athlete’s sleep is disturbed at night, they can use it during their stay at Games Village,” said Dr Sharma.

In the past, due to misinformation based on unscientific practices, the staff has addressed such issues of athletes by prescribing medicine. The athletes need to be careful of that, stated Dr Sharma.

“We need to remember that sleep medication brings with itself its issues. Some sleep medicines can be highly addictive. A sleep expert looks into the root cause of the problem but the medication only fixes the symptoms. It will be synthetic sleep, not natural which our brain requires for recovery,” Dr Sharma said.

After a record haul of seven medals at the last edition in Tokyo, the Indian contingent will aim to do even better in Paris where the Games will be held from July 26 to August 11. While families of the participating Indian athletes and the fans across the country might spend sleepless nights anticipating what might transpire, the ones on the ground have prepared not to let that happen.