Gaming
esports
Want to be a pro esports player? Get more sleep
Competitive Gaming has evolved way past spending hours in a dark room and jamming with your friends till the early morning. Now you need to think like an athlete to get an edge on the competition.
As we move into the second half the year esports in South Africa starts to heat up, with a host of LANs and big expos like rAge and Comic Con Africa taking centre stage. Competitive Gaming has evolved way past spending hours in a dark room and jamming with your friends till the early morning. Now you need to think like an athlete to get an edge on the competition. According to Barry Bridges, a Sports Science Graduate and Professional Sports Coach says sleep could make the difference at the highest levels of competitive gaming. Bridges holds a BA Sports Science Degree, a national diploma in Exercise Science, is a certified sports performance enhancement specialist and a certified Sleep Science Coach. So he knows his stuff! Here’s what he suggests for esports athletes wanting to finish in the top spot.
Most gamers are up till late in the evening putting the hours in to their favourite titles. What exactly is sleep coaching and how would it help an esports player?
“Sleep coaching assists anyone struggling with sleep and fatigue. Sleep coaching sessions teach you about unlocking your sleep potential and getting the best sleep you can with proper sleep hygiene habits. For esports players sleep coaching can improve cognitive function output and recovery after gaming. Sleep helps us restore long term memory which is vital for gaming - especially when learning new game skills while scrimming. Proper sleep regulates your digestive system, helps prevent burnout and fatigue and also assists with faster reaction and hand eye coordination. All of which are vital for a competitive player.”
Bridges has been working with South African Hearthstone player Wynand “Vivid” Meiring, who competed at the World Electronic Sports Games late last year.
He is currently coaching Vivid leading up to the WESG qualifiers happening at RUSH at the end of June. So what does the coaching entail?
“I’ve been working with Vivid since last year leading up to the WESG finals in China and continued our work for the WESG Qualifiers this year. Sleep interventions and sleep hygiene programmes were given to him to improve his cognitive function performance output. Wellness data was also captured to pinpoint focus areas for esports performance. We’re currently working on recovery protocols around his gym routine as well as after gaming and exercise to enhance his mobility.”
South Africa struggles to compete on the international esports scene because we are so far away from the rest of the world. Our limited international event invites bring with them a host of difficulties. A player like Vivid is expected to jump on a plane and travel for more than ten hours to another country, many times with a new time zone, and then perform with very little recovery time. Bridges breaks down the problems with travelling for competition as well as how to negate the effects that could hamper performance:
“When travelling, especially overseas, players face many obstacles caused by travel. There’s a lack of preparation regarding wellness and sleep interventions. The level of competition is tough and players suffer fatigue (both mental and physical) when competing against stronger players. South Africa’s unique esports circumstances mean they aren’t able to practice with the best players in the world or compete with them regularly. This all adds to the nerves and stress of competing at international esports tournaments. While many of these obstacles require more in depth preparation, there are some sleep interventions that can assist when travelling long haul.
Hydrate as much as possible, avoid tap water and opt for bottled water where possible. Also try adding more vegetables to your diet while travelling as they carry a lot of water content. When you arrive at your destination try get as much sunlight as possible as this will wake you up and secrete your Serotonin hormone (which is the one that helps you feel full of energy). Avoid caffeine and alcohol drinks as these can affect your recovery and worsen jet lag. It’s important to eat right when travelling, so avoid processed foods and be sure to add nutritious foods as this will help with sleep and recovery. Carry healthy snacks when you’re on the plane. Be sure to shut off technology 1 hour before bed. Technology can cause the brain to think it is still day time which offsets our sleep hormone for bed (known as Melatonin). Including light exercise when arriving at your destination will help with sleeping and improve circulation for the body. Sitting on a plane can cause fatigue and pain when travelling for long hours so aim for at least fifteen to twenty minutes on daily movement drills.”
Many South African esports players have not been able to take their competitive gaming career full time. Bridges understands that they’re attempting to fit in school or work while also getting in enough gaming time in the evenings. Easier said than done (which anyone who has played an online league game till 1 in the morning on a work night will agree with). However he has some top tips for finding a work/gaming/sleep balance:
“Be sure to plan your day for work and school. During the day get at least five to ten minutes of sunlight to help you feel more energised. Plan your sleep around your chronotype, meaning determine if you’re a morning or evening person and ensure you’re able to add hours in the evening or morning depending. During the day plan technology recovery breaks. These are shut off periods of no technology for at least one to three minutes every 90 minutes. These breaks include things like talking to friends, going to the bathroom, going to the shop, stretching or meditation.
Also aim to have a protein meal with veggies for dinner. Heavy carb meals before bed could make sleep uncomfortable. Finally, do something called a brain dump before bed. Once you’ve switched off your PC or console and spent an hour on your technology break, write all your plans for the next day down, record all your positive thoughts and daily concerns on a piece of paper… and then go to sleep!”
