"Sleeping Tablets Helped Me Fall Asleep" - AB de Villiers On Dealing With Anxiety Issues Before Big Games

“Sleeping Tablets Helped Me Fall Asleep” – AB de Villiers On Dealing With Anxiety Issues Before Big Games

by Sai VaitlaJuly 19, 2023

Last Update on: July 19th, 2023 at 02:00 pm

South African batting legend AB de Villiers has opened up about his struggles with anxiety during his playing career, especially before important matches. AB de Villiers admitted that he occasionally consumed sleeping tablets to cope with stress during his playing days.

It is not uncommon for athletes to face challenges with sleep and anxiety. Recently, Steve Smith revealed that he struggles to sleep before important matches. Footballer Dele Alli admitted to using sleeping pills, but he also acknowledged that it became an issue for him.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers shared his personal experiences and highlighted that relying on such medication can become problematic over time.

“I can relate to this because I had similar issues before big games, really struggling to sleep. Sleeping tablets helped me fall asleep and it can become a problem after a while because the tablet only doesn’t make you sleep, it makes you feel really relaxed, takes a bit of anxiety away and you just feel in a very good space,” de Villiers said.

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Literally Slept For 2-3 Hours Maximum – AB de Villiers

During an earlier interview, AB de Villiers recalled an incident from the 2015 World Cup when he struggled to sleep before a match against the West Indies.

“I very clearly remember the game in the 2015 World Cup. It was the night before we played the West Indies. I actually ended up scoring a hundred which was very surprising – one of the best knocks of my life.”

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“But that night, I literally slept for 2-3 hours maximum. At 3 am, I got the doctor over to my room, got an injection and I just couldn’t sleep. I had stomach cramps and it was purely based around anxiety, stress and pressure, thinking about the next big game, which was a must-win for us.”

Sleeping Tablets Can Be So Addictive – AB de Villiers

The former South African skipper mentioned that he started experiencing anxiety issues around 2010-2011 due to his increased expectations of himself.

“It was just those lonely times in the hotel room, thinking, ‘I have to do this again tomorrow, I have to do it again’. It just never stopped, ultimately creating a bit of anxiety within myself. I also used sleeping tablets from time to time, especially before big games.”

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“Sleeping tablets can be so addictive that sometimes you start taking them when you don’t really need them. That’s where it becomes the problem. Luckily for me, I stabilized the last 5-7 years, got a little bit better, but it’s very dangerous.”