Brentford's Norgaard feared sleeping pill addiction

Christian Norgaard joined Brentford in 2019

Brentford captain Christian Norgaard feared he would have become addicted to sleeping tablets had it not been for the intervention of the club's sleeping coach.

The Denmark midfielder began taking the tablets before away games after being prescribed them while at his former club Brondby, after becoming anxious about a lack of sleep hindering his performance.

The 31-year-old says Bees sleep coach Anna West - who has been working with the club since 2016 - provided coping strategies and techniques that helped wean himself off them.

"I really clearly remember when it [first] happened," Norgaard told BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Rick Edwards.

"It was before quite an important cup game in Denmark and the mind started going. I had a bad night's sleep and I brought those thoughts to the game and I was like, 'what if I don't play well now because I've slept bad?'.

"That became my thinking pattern before the next game, 'I need to sleep [well] before the game otherwise I'll be a disaster in the game'. So that's why you have to break those patterns up."

Norgaard was speaking to 5 Live's Breakfast programme as part of a special podcast going behind the scenes at Brentford.

Former Tottenham and Everton midfielder Dele Alli revealed in a 2023 interview that he had spent six months in rehab for a sleeping pill addiction and mental health issues, adding that misuse of the tablets was "something going around more than people realise in football".

Norgaard says he became emotional watching the Dele interview and believes the issue of sleeping tablets - which can be prescribed or bought over the counter - needs greater attention so others can access the support he did.

"It was tough to watch but it was also touching and it was quite emotional for someone like me who struggled with it and could've maybe ended up being addicted to these sleeping tablets," he added.

"I remember sending a text to our sleeping coach Anna to say thank you for the things we've been working on because this is a clear picture of how bad it can go.

"It's a topic that has maybe been going a bit under the radar. I think now it's getting emphasised, not only in football but in general, how important it is."

Norgaard, who left Brondby for Fiorentina in 2018 before joining Brentford a year later, says small routines, such as bringing his own pillow to away games, taking showers before bed and reading have helped him relax and sleep without the need for medication.

"That's one of the things I'm really happy about, having left it behind, and I'm happy that I'm not addicted to it now," he said. "Because, I think, once you've finished your career it's something you could struggle with."

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article then you can visit the BBC Action Line website where you can find details of organisations you can contact for information, advice and support.