Dedicated sleep advisor, sleep training, pods: How India embraced the science of sleep at 2024 Paris Olympics
A night of disturbed or bad sleep is the last thing Neeraj Chopra would hope for before gearing up for potentially the biggest throw of the javelin in his career, in an Olympic final. So would shooter Manu Bhaker before her final in a sport where the barest of margins decide medals, or any other athlete for that matter at the biggest stage of all. After all, it is no secret that the lack of quality sleep can impact athletes’ reaction time and decision-making skills.
Nevertheless, sleep disruptions are highly common for athletes, particularly at the Olympics. A range of factors contribute to it, including jetlag, anxiety in the build-up to competition, adjusting to a new sleeping environment, and the constant hustle and bustle of an Olympic Athletes’ Village that hosts over 10,000 athletes.
To tackle this unavoidable problem, a dedicated ‘sleep advisor’ was appointed as part of the Indian contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Dr. Monika Sharma, an expert in optimising sleep for high performance in athletes, accompanied India’s 117 Olympians in Paris as the team’s sleep advisor, in a first for India at the Olympics.
A room inside the Olympic Village in Paris.
Why ‘sleep training’ is important
Dr. Sharma, a fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania, insists that even athletes who follow good sleeping patterns cannot avoid sleep disruptions. Which is why Dr. Sharma’s work with India’s Olympians wasn’t limited only to the duration of the games, but began months in advance.
“The importance of sleep preparation and sleep training well in advance cannot be overstated,” Dr. Sharma told the Sports Gazette. “Pre-preparation allows athletes to know and be prepared mentally what to expect, what not to expect, and to adjust their sleep patterns accordingly. It helps in dealing with time zone changes, helping their bodies and minds adapt well and minimising the negative impact of factors in the lead up to competition.”
Dr. Sharma further stresses why practising and regularly following a good sleep pattern is key to maintaining a competitive edge despite disruptions.
“If they’ve gotten used to a good sleep pattern, it minimises the impact of disruptions. It helps them be ready to perform, be it from the aspect of muscle recovery, cognitive function, or more. This (sleep) training helps athletes restore the body’s optimal sleep patterns and overall well-being after they experience sleep disruptions because of jet lag, frequent travel, competition schedules and other demands.”
The training Dr. Sharma mentions involves the creation of individually tailored sleep plans for athletes. While factors like anxiety or a new sleeping environment are common for all, different athletes have different recovery needs and competition schedules, and specific high-performance objectives, among other unique factors.
“These plans involve specific sleep strategies keeping in mind they all have unique needs and also individual performance objectives,” Dr. Sharma added. “I help them recognise their unique sleep-related challenges and I provide them with specific scientific evidence-based strategies and practices to optimise restorative sleep for peak performance.”
Complex science behind recovery for peak performance
Athletes’ recovery objectives and demands are made further unique by their sport, or even a difference in disciplines within a larger sport. For example, endurance athletes have different demands and methods of recovery compared to sprinters.
Age and gender are two other very important factors that define athletes’ recovery needs and methods. India’s contingent in Paris had athletes ranging from 14-year-old swimming sensation Dhinidhi Desinghu to the 44-year-old tennis legend Rohan Bopanna. As far as Desinghu, and her fellow female athletes, are concerned, other biological and physiological factors also need to be considered.
“Keeping in mind female biology and a host of physiological factors, our sleep needs differ based on the menstrual cycle before, during, and after, because of the hormonal fluctuations,” Dr. Sharma explained. “And it starts from puberty – we even have a young athlete with us – right upto post-menopause. So we take all these things into consideration…Sleep is influenced by hormones, by the ‘sleep-wake cycle.’ There’s a huge biology and physiology at play here.”
14-year-old Indian swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu competes in Paris.
Sleep kits and sleep pods save the day (and night)
Along with their tailor-made plans, Dr. Sharma and her team provided each athlete with a standard sleep kit, which included eye masks, ear plugs, and a travel neck pillow. While these products have obvious utility in transit, they were meant to be of use especially in a busy games village. Apart from the constant noise, the cardboard beds installed in each room of the athletes’ village in Paris were the topic of much debate and were deemed ‘uncomfortable’ by many.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also facilitated the addition of sleep pods at the village with exclusive access to Indian athletes, in a decision Dr. Sharma termed ‘groundbreaking.’ These sleep pods are intended to help athletes nap effectively during the day, acting as a highly effective supplement to combat the impact of sleep disruptions during the night.
“I always advice athletes to carry an extra dose of sleep with them. We’re using these pods to supplement sleep and quick recovery that athletes can have during the day. This is in addition to their night-time sleep, which if and when disrupted, can be recovered through the use of these pods,” Dr. Sharma revealed, highlighting that napping has multiple benefits from both a physiological and cognitive standpoint.
Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra celebrates after winning the silver medal in Paris.
‘New kid on the block’
Dr. Sharma, the founder of Sleep Moksha – a sleep wellness clinic based in India – observed that when she started out, ignorance about sleep and about the importance of having good sleep patterns was quite profound among athletes. That is also reflected in the myths around the ideal quantity of sleep, without focusing on the quality of sleep and the very crucial balance between quality and quantity.
Having spent a lot of time in the United States, Dr. Sharma aims to emulate the way they are ‘translating the science of sleep to athletic performance and recovery’ in her work with India’s top athletes.
Just the fact that a dedicated sleep advisor was appointed as part of India’s Olympic contingent for the first time ever is an indication that positive change is being embraced.
“I have all the reasons to be hopeful that they (athletes) are becoming more aware of this missing piece of the puzzle,” Sharma said. “I always say that sleep is the new kid on the block and I’m happy to see we’re catching up.”
