BC Khimki – one of the most important basketball clubs in Russia – had a break during their training camp in Palanga to discuss an important off-field topic– sleeping equipment and recovery.

Next to hydration and nutrition, recovery has become the priority area of focus for many elite sportsmen and women. Estonian company SleepAngel has created a revolution in this field by introducing sleeping equipment enabled with a unique filter technology that keeps bedding equipment clean and risk free.

“We are used to sports equipment and nutrition plans, but we cannot forget sleeping and recovery,” says Sven Jürisoo, Founder and CEO of SleepAngel, and adds “it is common knowledge that whereas floors, door handles, toilets and other hard surfaces are cleaned properly and often, that beds, especially inside mattresses and pillows,  are often overlooked as sources of danger. Given the fact that we spend roughly one third of our lives in bed, we believe- and Sports Science agrees – that athletes should sleep and recover “where the air is pure” and with SleepAngel, they can do that.”

While meeting with the team, trainer Evaldas Kundrotavičius asked searching questions regarding Sleepangel’s technology, its efficacy and relevance to the recovery needs of his team. SleepAngel products are originally created for hospitals and have been scientifically and medically proven both in laboratory and clinical settings. They are award winning and patent protected worldwide, including Russia. Satisfied with the related evidence, the group went on to study how pillow and mattress interiors can act as reservoirs for bacteria and bugs and the importance of eliminating this exposure to promote recovery and protect performance. 

The determination that Recovery is the third pillar next to hydration and nutrition is underpinned by numerous studies concluding that sleeping and recovery are vital for full performance and mental health. As an example, Cheri D. Mah, Kenneth E. Mah, Eric J. Kezirian and William C. Dement investigated in a research “The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Collegiate Basketball Players” the effects of sleep extension on specific measures of athletic performance as well as reaction time, mood, and daytime sleepiness. In the test subjects maintained their habitual sleep-wake schedule for a 2–4 week baseline followed by a 5–7 week sleep extension period. Subjects obtained as much nocturnal sleep as possible during sleep extension with a minimum goal of 10 h in bed each night. As a result they concluded that improvements in specific measures of basketball performance after sleep extension indicate that optimal sleep is a probable contributory  factor in reaching peak athletic performance (as an example - shooting accuracy improved, with free throw percentage increasing by 9% and 3-point field goal percentage increasing by 9.2%).

BC Khimki players participated in a SleepAngel pillow and matrass fitting to find the best solution for each individual. As we suggest bringing your SleepAngel pillow wherever you are travelling, finding the perfect match in size and material is very important. Teams International Director Elena Nazarova was impressed, recognizing the importance of the technology and products to the recovery process and player health in general. To further develop SleepAngel based recovery tools for the team and also to provide the best of gear to players’ families a new date was set for further workshopping and cooperation. Looking forward to seeing you soon in Tallinn, BC Khimki.

About SleepAngel products

SleepAngel patented PneumaPure Filter Technology products provide clean and healthy environments for the recovery. The filter ensures that bedding will ventilate but stay clean inside. The advanced tech-textile cover can be cleaned quickly. As there is no need to wash the pillow, product quality and life is extended.

Read more about the team: https://en.bckhimki.com