It's World Sleep Day, and for athletes, the best way to recover is to sleep. Some use sleeping pills, a drastic solution that can lead to addiction. Brentford midfielder and captain Christian Norgaard admitted to BBC Radio that he was afraid of becoming addicted to sleeping pills such as former Tottenham Hotspur player and England International Dele Alli had become. The first time he tried them was just before an important cup match in Denmark. He thought, "What if I don't play well because I slept?" Gradually, just before a match, it became his routine because he thought that if he didn't sleep well, he would be "a disaster" on the pitch. To avoid falling into this addiction, he received advice from Anna West, a sleep specialist employed by Brentford. From now on, to relax and sleep well before a match, the Danish midfielder brings his own pillow (if the game is away), takes a shower, and reads—simple solutions, in short. It's also recommended not to look at a screen for an hour before bed.
Brief
Christian Norgaard was afraid of becoming addicted to sleeping pills. / © Icon Sport