“When you sleep well, that’s when you feel like getting up” - S Sreesanth 

Former India pacer S Sreesanth has stated that sleep is very important for sportspersons as, without proper rest, they might not be able to deliver the desired results. Sreesanth explained that only when one sleeps well does the person feel like waking up.

In an interaction with Sportskeeda, the 40-year-old former cricketer opened up in detail on the significance of rest and proper sleep for an athlete.

“Sleep is very important. Some people feel that as soon as you cross the boundary line, your reflexes take over. Yes, your adrenaline rush does take over, but it’s better to take proper rest. And that proper rest is complete rest, where your mind is at ease; your body is at ease. When you sleep well, that’s when you feel like getting up,” he said.

The former Kerala speedster added that if a sportsperson doesn’t sleep well, he or she might face trouble waking up and getting ready for a game.

“If your sleep is incomplete, you won’t feel like getting up. In that case, you will have to force yourself because there is a match to play. You have to keep telling yourself that there is an important match. On the other hand, if your sleep is complete, then you are ready,” he elaborated.

Sreesanth added that simple things like following a routine and sleeping on a good mattress can also give that energetic feel to the body.

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“If your sleep is not complete, tiredness will be very high” - Sreesanth

Sharing more thoughts on the importance of sleep and rest for cricketers, Sreesanth said that lack of sleep time could affect cricketers in all departments of the game, be it batting, bowling, or fielding.

“When you play cricket, you have to make sure you get very good sleep. It will have an effect while fielding, batting and bowling. Batters only get a fraction of a second as reaction time. You practice and muscle memory will take over in a good match, but if your sleep is not complete, tiredness will be very high,” he explained.

Sharing about his own routine, the 40-year-old revealed:

“I have a routine wherein whenever I wake up in the morning, I touch both my palms on the ground and I just say gratitude. It’s a routine I have followed since childhood."

“While getting up, you shouldn’t have that feeling when you are thinking [in a negative sense] that you have to wake up again,” he concluded.

Sreesanth played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India, claiming 169 international scalps in total.