Over the last several weeks, Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland has captured the interest of World Cup fans around the globe for reasons that go further than his extraordinary performances on the pitch.
Beyond his eclectic fashion sense and luxury designer bags, and his goofy off-field personality that has everyone talking, the tall, blond-haired striker for Premier League club Manchester City has also gained widespread attention for his rigorous wellness routine, which revolves around sleep.
“Sleep is the most important thing in the world,” the 26-year-old says, emphasising that it is “not only a lot [of sleep], but good sleep”.
To hit his target of nine to 10 hours a night, Haaland wears blue-light-filtering glasses three hours before bedtime to prevent light from suppressing his melatonin levels. This helps him drift off to sleep faster. He has also experimented with mouth-taping to promote nasal breathing – a trend experts caution should be approached carefully if you have underlying respiratory issues.
Haaland is on the right track to ageing healthily. Sleep helps the body recover after a long, physically tiring day, but consistent quality rest does more than repair muscles.