CRISTIANO RONALDO’S sleep guru says his six 90-minute snoozes a day are NOT ‘naps’ but instead a way to ‘improve recovery’.
Sleep specialist Nick Littlehales has been working with Ronaldo since the superstar’s Real Madrid days.
Cristiano Ronaldo has six 90-minute snoozes a dayCredit: Refer to Caption
Ronaldo’s sleep guru insisted the rest is a way to ‘improve recovery’Credit: Reuters
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was told to take five to six 90-minute sleeps a day and rest on fresh sheets in the foetal position.
Littlehales has put to bed any stigmas of lazy napping and instead revealed the short snoozing sessions aid recovery after intense training sessions.
He said, per Record: “It is not a nap, this is for older people who watch television.
“It is a way to sleep less, but to improve recovery.
“Football players have private lives. The sport they play has very demanding schedules, which will continue to be so.
“Many young athletes I work with suffer from insomnia, anxiety, stress and all those things that end up being part of the world of sport.”
Littlehales has also worked with Manchester City and more recently his services have been requested by other clubs in the Premier League, Championship, NBA and NHL.
But he landed one of his first gigs in football when he wrote to Sir Alex Ferguson and offered his help.
The United legend enlisted the help of the former bed company director to combat Gary Pallister’s back problem.
Later on Littlehales proved a sponge for sleep advice when then-Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti invited him to work with his squad.
At the time, Ronaldo was the only player allowed access to their customised sleeping pod at their training centre, meaning he napped alone.
The 35-year-old Juventus forward also stops staring at screens an hour and a half before bed.
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien once claimed he needed 14 hours of sleep a day to ensure he was at his powerful and energetic best in games.
And 15-time tennis Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras would insist on pristine new sheets every night and banned his wife from even touching him once he got into bed.
But Littlehales says the key to a good night is sleeping on a mattress with just TEN CENTIMETRES of foam.
Aside from his work with football and rugby league clubs, Littlehales has also advised golden British cycling couple Laura and Jason Kenny.
Ronaldo returns to Juventus training ahead of Champions League clash against Ferencvarosi
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
