A West Ham United footballer was left too scared to sleep after listening to a true crime podcast, a sleep specialist has revealed.
Expert James Wilson appeared on BBC Breafkfast to explain the work he does with professional athletes. The expert, known as 'The Sleep Geek', has worked with men's and women's football teams to helo their players.
Top level football teams consistently look for ways to help their players' preparations on and off the pitch, with many helping improve stars' diets and looking at other elements of their lifestyle. Sleep comes into this category, and one Hammers star in particular required help for rather surprising reasons.
"I work with both the men's and women's team," Wilson said. "It depends on the individual. Some players do listen to things before bed. And we've had to reassess some of things at times.
"One player was listening to true crime podcasts before bed and wondering why he was struggling to get to sleep. It is about the individual. Some of them might find it useful. Some of them might be a little bit annoyed and wake them up."
Wilson developed the 'Kip Mate' toolbox. His website describes Kip Mate as "a sleep toolbox that improves the sleep health of individuals, organisations and sports teams in a way that is affordable, simple to apply and extremely effective.
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"With Kip Mate you will finally understand who you are as a sleeper, pinpoint what it is that is causing your issues and get targeted tools and content that give you a quick and easy way to sort your sleep. No long-winded questionnaires, no excruciatingly patronising content and real people who care about your sleep," the description on his site explains.
Wilson did not specify when the player in question experienced issues with their sleep. However, the revelations come at a time when West Ham are struggling towards the bottom of the Premier League table, with manager David Moyes coming under pressure.
The Hammers sat in 10th spot after 12 matches, but a run of just one point from their top seven has seen them slip into the relegation places. Reports suggest Moyes could be in line for the sack if West Ham are beaten by his former club Everton on Saturday, with Rafa Benitez said to be among those in the frame to take his place.
After Saturday's match against Everton, the Hammers will face Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham as they look to pull themselves away from danger. Moyes' team finished seventh in the league last season but have found things tough this term with just four league wins from 19 games.
