Indian contingent to have a sleeping advisor for athletes to have "optimum sleep" in Paris Olympics
For the first time in Olympic history, the Indian contingent is set to have a sleeping advisor for the upcoming Paris games, set to take place from July 26 to August 11. Furthermore, the medical team of the Indian Olympic Association will also provide the athletes with sleeping pods, which will allow them to regulate their sleep.
Dr. Monika Sharma, an expert in optimizing sleep for performance and recovery among athletes will serve as the advisor to the Indian contingent. According to Dr. Sharma, athletes need a proper sleeping pattern, amid pressure and anxiety in the build-up to their events and will require sufficient energy to do well in the Paris Olympics.
“The aim essentially is to develop an environment which is sleep conducive," Dr. Sharma was quoted as saying by Indian Express. "The Olympic Village is a stressful environment; not ideal sleeping conditions. We will support and help the athletes in coping with the challenges and mitigate their consequences."
As per the forecast, the Athletes Village at the Paris Olympics is expected to have high temperatures, and the rooms do not have fans or ACs to provide relief for athletes. In a move to minimize the impact caused by heat, Dr. Sharma added:
“We are gearing up to cover this aspect. We are designing a travel sleep kit for our athletes to make them comfortable. It will have sleep masks, travel pillows and ear plugs, among other things."
Dr. Sharma opens up on her initial talks with Indian athletes participating in Paris Olympics
The advisor to the Indian contingent, Dr Sharma has already initiated talks with many Indian athletes participating in the Paris Olympics. According to her, few athletes ignore getting good sleep and she intends to educate them about quality sleep.
Furthermore, the advisor also revealed that some athletes are obsessed with winning, and can put sleep on the back burner to produce their best performance. She said:
“At this level, where skills and expertise are pretty high, athletes are looking to get an edge. Getting optimum sleep, and restorative sleep definitely gives them that edge. We want to remove any element of luck and unpredictability."
According to Dr. Sharma, an adjustment in sleep pattern can help athletes improve their reaction time, jump height and sprint performances. Further, she finds sleep to be of paramount importance to avoid injuries during training.