Sometimes all you need is a good night’s sleep. But if you want to be the best baseball player, you need a lot of sleep.

Shohei Ohtani admitted during Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game in Seattle that the key to his success was a special sleep regimen that took up half of a 24-hour day.

Ohtani’s routine in detail

Ohtani signed a sponsorship deal with national bedding giant Nishikawa during his time in Nippon Professional Baseball, a relationship that has been maintained and nurtured since the two-way star joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.

Ohtani views sleep as “recovery,” and the term is apt given the workload he bears for the Angels on a regular basis. Ohtani believes that sleep is an important part of his training, especially during the grueling 162-game MLB season.

Ohtani also has access to a wide range of innovative products that promote deep sleep as a result of his partnership with Nishikawa. One such item is a portable mattress, which he first used at the World Baseball Classic.

The birth of sleep science

Ohtani is a prime example of how important regular, long sleep can be for peak athletic performance.

In the mid-2010s, several NFL teams began to seriously embrace sleep science. The emerging field was also credited with helping Premier League side Leicester City overcome 5000-to-1 odds to win the title in 2016 – and it’s now been revealed that consistent, prolonged sleep is critical for Ohtani’s incredible achievements as a hitter and pitcher.

Ohtani, as usual, will be one of the top players to watch now that the All-Star Game is over. The 29-year-old could be in his final months with the Angels, with Los Angeles set to miss the playoffs for the second time this season as the two-way phenomenon’s contract expires this fall.