This week ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes exposed the rampant sleep deprivation in the NBA in his article, "It's the dirty little secret that everybody knows about." ESPN asks the question if it is even possible within the current NBA schedule to obtain consistent, quality sleep? "Nah," Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat says, "It's impossible. It's impossible." Players, coaches and executives all know it, but in reality there's no one-size-fits-all sleep solution. Each individual has to learn what impacts their sleep and their body. Tobias Harris of the Pistons has crafted a detailed schedule using neurofeedback data. His strict routine helps him maintain optimal performance during the grueling schedule where players travel an average of 250 miles per day for 25 weeks straight.
Other players battle the constant fatigue with sleep sound apps, blackout curtains, screentime limits, and more - yet players still call the travel schedule "insane" and getting enough sleep "impossible." Harris goes on record with his prediction: "I think in a couple years," he says, "[sleep deprivation] will be an issue that's talked about, like the NFL with concussions." Sleep deprivation over time can lead to a huge range of health issues and chronic diseases. Learn more about the devastating short and long-term outcomes in our article Effects of Poor Sleep Quality. As more and more people from all walks of life start speaking out, the true extent of this epidemic is becoming apparent. If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling to get consistent, quality sleep - we are here to say THERE IS HOPE!
