Hockey sleep hacks: Super power naps, light therapy and tart cherry juice could lead to wins

BOSTON — At approximately midnight, three hours in to his semi-regular commute from Boston to Madrid, Dr. Alen Juginovic pulls an essential item from his carry-on luggage. 

For approximately 30 minutes, provided that his seatmates approve, Juginovic, a sleep consultant for Real Madrid and a Harvard Medical School postdoctoral fellow, turns on his light box. It mutes the rise of melatonin, the hormone released at night to signal to the body that it’s time to sleep. The light box, in conjunction with caffeine he consumes at the same time, helps Juginovic stay alert for the meetings he has with the soccer club upon arrival the following morning.

“It’s a $19, $20 dollar light on Amazon,” said Juginovic, who is also an instructor at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “It’s not sophisticated technology.”

For NHL players, such investments may mean the difference between wins and losses.

Sleep is everything for elite athletes. According to a 2011 study conducted on Stanford University basketball players, a five- to seven-week sleep extension period (at least 10 hours in bed nightly) produced faster sprints, greater shooting accuracy and improved mood. In a 1994 study, eight weightlifters who were limited to three hours of sleep for three consecutive nights performed worse on bench press, leg press and deadlift, compared to after a control period.

As for cognition, a 2012 study on 12 handball goalkeepers concluded that reaction time, selective attention and constant attention were affected more by sleep deprivation than after control. Compromised executive functions can not only produce poor results, but they can put athletes into more dangerous situations and increase the likelihood of injury.

“Players at the top of their game, they want that 0.1 percent boost in performance,” Juginovic said. “I’m not saying that sleep is going to boost your performance by 5 million percent. But you can get that 0.1 percent. It really can be the decider in a crucial final game between scoring or hitting the post.”

In the NHL, getting enough sleep is easier said than done. 

Morning skates, 7 p.m. puck drops, postgame travel and the league’s physical and mental stress turn consistent sleep schedules sideways. The concept of normal sleep is so abnormal that postgame training sessions — gearing up when most people are winding down — are standard. 

But through sleep personalization, NHL teams can optimize their players’ on-ice alertness and maximize recovery before and after games. Juginovic’s playbook includes:

1. Get tested

Polysomnography, conducted overnight in a sleep lab, is the gold standard. The procedure measures oxygen levels, brain waves, eye movement, heart rate and air flow. Polysomnography determines how long a subject spends in the sleep cycle, which lasts for approximately 100 minutes and repeats through the night, with Stage 1 (light sleep), Stage 2 (slightly deeper), Stage 3 (deep sleep) and rapid eye movement (REM). 

Stage 3 is the most restorative segment. Polysomnography can help diagnose sleep apnea, for example, which prevents a player from maximizing Stage 3.

Juginovic also recommends a saliva test to determine when a player secretes melatonin. According to Juginovic, secretion usually begins at 9 p.m., peaks between 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., and falls to near zero between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. 

Through testing, teams can identify a player, for example, who secretes melatonin earlier than others. That player could undergo bright-light therapy during westbound travel to delay sleepiness and ease jet lag.

Juginovic also recommends pharmacogenetic testing, using a cheek swab, to measure how a player metabolizes caffeine and melatonin. If a player metabolizes caffeine quickly, he can ingest greater amounts to promote alertness than a teammate who metabolizes it more slowly.

2. Individualize workout times

If a coach wants to practice at 11 a.m., players have no choice but to hit the ice at that time. 

But if the day also calls for off-ice training, teams should allow players to work out at times that fit with their corresponding categories: morning person, evening, or in between. A morning person might be best served lifting before practice. The night owl might feel fresher in the afternoon.

“If you understand this person’s the morning type, give that person training in the morning. Because they’re going to be most focused and most energized. Not at 4 p.m.,” said Juginovic. “Whereas for the players who are evening types, delay that training. Put it at 11 or 12 depending on nutrition, meal schedule, all that stuff. But don’t put it at 7 a.m.”

3. Limit pregame naps to 30 minutes

In a normal circadian rhythm, a dip usually occurs between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. This is a good window for players to nap to coincide with natural drowsiness. 

However, a player who naps longer than 30 minutes can go into Stage 3. A player who experiences deep sleep in the afternoon is likely to have trouble falling asleep at night. This limits critical recovery.

To compound a 30-minute nap’s restorative effect, Juginovic recommends taking caffeine before falling asleep. It takes the average person 30 minutes to metabolize caffeine. A cup of coffee, then, will kick in just after the player rises from the nap.

“You’re going to take caffeine, fall asleep, wake up with the caffeine reaching its peak,” Juginovic said. “So you’re going to get the double boost of the power nap plus the caffeine that’s going to hit you after you wake up.” 

4. Bright light therapy and caffeine before the game

Approximately an hour before puck drop, players are usually warming up. Some kick around a soccer ball. Others stretch. 

Juginovic prescribes bright-light therapy at 10,000 lux, a unit that translates to one lumen per square meter. Bright light therapy suppresses the release of melatonin, thereby promoting alertness during the game.

Players warming up may not have time to sit in front of a 10,000-lux light box for 30 minutes. So, perhaps they could go through game prep in a brightly lit area, not in shadowy nooks next to the Zamboni.

“That player should face some 10 percent, 20 percent energy boost. ‘Oh, I didn’t feel as tired as I usually would,’” said Juginovic. “Ten percent is a lot.”

Juginovic also recommends coffee or a caffeine gel 30 minutes before puck drop. An evening person, however, should proceed cautiously. According to Juginovic, it usually takes between four to nine hours to excrete 50 percent of caffeine. If a player identifies as an evening person, it may be counterproductive to take caffeine pregame because of the possibility of disrupting sleep that night.

5. Road teams should stay over and travel the next day, unless it’s a short flight home

It is detrimental for players to doze in the air at midnight, wake up on arrival at 2 a.m., drive home, struggle to fall asleep and report to the rink for practice the next day. It is better to initiate the sleep cycle sooner at the hotel.

“Let’s rest,” said Juginovic. “Let’s get that restorative sleep. It’s super important for muscles, for body, for brain, for everything. And then let’s travel tomorrow.”

6. Good sleep hygiene postgame

Juginovic recommends the following:

• A postgame meal, two or three hours before bed, rich in melatonin: chicken, fish, nuts, rice, pasta, tart cherry juice.
• A dark bedroom to initiate the release of melatonin. 
• No screen time, because of how light suppresses melatonin. 
• A bedroom set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. 
• Showering, reading and deep breathing to reduce stress and shift away from the game.
• Exposure to sunlight promptly upon waking the following morning to initiate the circadian clock.

7. Plan ahead for travel across multiple time zones

On Dec. 10, the Florida Panthers will start a five-game road trip in Seattle. Later that week, the Stanley Cup champions will play in Vancouver and Calgary. All three games are at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Sleep experts have concluded that it takes the circadian rhythm one day per time zone to adjust. One week before the trip, then, the Panthers should try to stay awake 20 minutes later per night. 

Chances are, however, the Panthers will not have fully adjusted to Pacific time upon arrival. It’s likely they’ll be drowsy the night after the Kraken game and before they play the Canucks. So on the night of Dec. 11, they should use light boxes for 30 minutes to suppress melatonin release and further acclimate to Pacific time. This will make them better prepared to play the Canucks on Dec. 12 the next night and the Flames on Dec. 14.

Conclusion

Players who follow Juginovic’s recommendations should feel fresher, play better and have greater odds of results. Juginovic’s pitch is simple: Sleep for the win.

“We want that 0.1 percent,” said Juginovic. “I don’t know the percentage. But that tiny amount can be the difference. When you’re at the top level, you’re one of the top 50 players, you’re obviously incredible in terms of fitness and all that stuff. But maybe sleep can give you that bit of a boost that other players don’t have.”

(Photo of Florida Panthers celebrating a goal: Harry How / Getty Images)