All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson loves to take three pointers, and he's good at it - he's second in the league in made threes this season. (His teammate and fellow "Splash Brother" Stephen Curry holds the number one spot.) Thompson also loves to sleep, and perhaps the two aren't unrelated. The Associated Press was there when Stanford sleep researcher Cheri Mah paid a visit to the Golden State Warriors' locker room last week, sharing some tips with the team.
Much of Mah's work focuses on sleep and athletic performance, and she says sleep is something that's often put on the back burner, especially with elite teams who have grueling schedules. From the piece:
“It’s one of the first things we sacrifice but one of the most important," Mah said Thursday. "Changing time zones frequently, that can affect circadian rhythms. Really, it was addressing improving and optimizing sleep and recovery.”
Getting more sleep is something Thompson has no problems with. “I know how important recovery is," he said in the article. "We play such a long season. And I love to sleep, so it was good hearing that if you want to be at optimal peak performance you’ve got to get your eight hours, or at least try to. You can’t be hanging out long hours at night.”
Previously: Superathletes sleep more, says Stanford researcher, Ask Stanford Med: Cheri Mah responds to questions on sleep and athletic performance, Expert argues that for athletes, “sleep could mean the difference between winning and losing,” Why your sleeping habits may be preventing you from sticking to a fitness routine and A slam dunk for sleep: Study shows benefits of slumber on athletic performance
Photo by Chilli Head
