Andre Iguodala found immense NBA success early in his career despite getting just a few hours of sleep on some nights, choosing to play video games late into the evening and then waking up a short time later and heading to practice.
Cheri D. Mah, MD, is a sleep specialist with the UCSF Human Performance Center and began working with Iguodala on adjusting his sleep schedule, and it paid dividends.
"Andre is a phenomenal athlete," Mah said to NBC Sports Bay Area, "but I think it just showed and highlighted the difference it could make when you actually have healthy sleep as this foundational component on a daily basis."
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Mah recommends eight to nine hours of sleep per night in order to wake up fully refreshed.
Iguodala's work with Mah is the focus of the second feature of NBC Sports Bay Area's "HEADSTRONG 2.0" series, a month-long initiative spotlighting men's health issues that will take place throughout January.
Learn more about his story in the video above.