Coventry sleep coach says it is ‘bonkers' that Prem clubs don't take his work seriously after helping Frank Lampard

The Sun

02-06-2025

COVENTRY CITY are just the latest club in English football to reap the benefits of a sleep expert as they aim for marginal gains at the elite level.
And "The Sleep Geek" James Wilson admits it is 'bonkers' that Premier League sides wanting to win titles are still reluctant to fully embrace his unique and successful methods.
4
4
4
Wilson has built a sound reputation in the world of football, helping players and coaching staff to perfect the art of sleeping and recovery at the likes of Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Lincoln City, West Ham and now Coventry.
His influence is telling, and appears to have the golden touch, involved in promotion success tales with Rotherham, Lincoln and Sheffield United, while also playing his part in West Ham's Europa Conference League triumph of 2023.
Frank Lampard's Coventry are the latest club on Wilson's list of honours, the Sky Blues coming within seconds of the Championship play-off final only to concede in injury-time to Sunderland in the semi-finals.
Having also worked with F1, NBA and NFL stars, Wilson's knowledge in the sleep field currently sees him approached by top footballers in the Prem and the EFL.
But other than Brentford having sleep coach Anna West in their ranks, Wilson's dream of his field being taken more seriously by the country's biggest clubs is still falling on deaf ears.
Wilson told SunSport: 'It's bonkers to me, it really is. There's me and Anna and that's it.
'It's not me making the decisions, but is it that they don't see sleep as that important? Is it that they feel they've already got the resource internally?
'One of my worries is you see more and more clubs working with brands that have some connection to sleep, maybe like a sleep supplement company or a piece of sleep technology.
'That's not sleep advice. It is worse now than when I started because those pieces of technology are so inaccurate. They are driving a sense of fear and despair in players.
Doctor reveals the dangerous effects going to sleep after midnight has on our brain
'It needs people who are properly trained. Some of the advice given by members of the medical team is not taken from reliable sources, like Jake Humphrey and Steven Bartlett podcasts, that can be troubling. And even if the stuff is right, it is not right for that individual.
'We've got to a point where bringing me in means you may upset a commercial brand paying for that relationship. I don't understand why every club hasn't got [a sleep coach].
'You might not get as much commercial benefit, but you're going to get a team into the play-offs. You're going to get promoted. You're going to win European trophies.
'That's what happens when you get proper sleep expertise. People responsible for the performance and wellbeing should have some sort of proper sleep knowledge.
'You can see how well Bentford have done can't you? You can see how well Rotherham did when I was there, Sheffield United, West Ham, Coventry.
'It's not hard, is it? If clubs invest properly, it really, really does work.'
Wilson began working with Coventry at the end of last season, giving the squad advice on how to prepare for their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United – one that they agonisingly lost on penalties under former boss Mark Robins.
4
Wilson explained: 'We did this little tweak before the United game where we suggested watching the other semi-final with Manchester City the day before might not be the best thing to prepare for sleep before you go and play.'
At other clubs, Wilson dealt with players who struggled with sleep paralysis. Parasomnia sufferer Richard Wood would sleep walk and head balls in his sleep, but the former Rotherham defender's career was prolonged with Wilson's help.
Wilson is now also sponsoring his local non-league side Nostell Miners Welfare from Wakefield in the Northern Counties East League.
It is undecided whether Wilson will continue working with Coventry next season, but he is highly rated by performance director Claire Marie and head of sports science Adam Hearn and worked alongside sports psychologists.
Wilson continued: 'The culture at Coventry was really good – they were doing a lot around the players, supporting them emotionally. Frank was really open to what we were doing.
'I started with a few seminars. I went in every four or five weeks from pre-season to February and I was then available from then for players who needed it.
'It's not snazzy. It's not wham-bam, thank you ma'am. It's conversations.
'You can see improvements within about three months. Give them the simple signs behind sleep and an understanding of themselves. You need to drop your heart rate, drop your core temperature.
'We did an education on sleep posture. It's scary how little a professional footballer spends on a mattress.
'You're going to earn more money if you do this stuff because you're going to have a longer career.'