Sleeping Like a Pro: A Look at the Sleep Routines of High-Performing Athletes

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Elite athletes train hard and diet to perform at the highest level. It takes passion, commitment and discipline. However, a third crucial element contributes to their success: sleep. How an athlete sleeps can boost their performance. Below is a look at how some of the highest-performing athletes approach sleep, plus secrets from the sports world that can help you to sleep, so you fire on all cylinders:

Serena Williams

Many have marvelled at Serena Williams’s achievements on the court, including how she progressed to a Wimbledon final just ten months after having a baby. How has she done it? Besides serious training on the court since she was three years old, eating well and staying positive, the US athlete has attributed her success to her emphasis on getting a night of consistent, restful sleep.

The tennis star has also highlighted the importance of having a good mattress. Her mattress adapts to her body and relieves pressure points so she can sleep peacefully and give her best the next day.

Michael Phelps

The ex-swimmer Michael Phelps is the world’s most decorated Olympian, with a whopping 28 medals to his name. Quality of sleep has mattered immensely to him. It has to the point that he slept in a chamber that simulated being at an altitude of between 8,500 and 9,000 feet. His ‘higher altitude’ would improve his endurance and blood flow by decreasing the amount of oxygen, making his body work harder to produce the red blood cells that carry oxygen to the muscles.

Tom Brady

Out partying all night? Not Tom Brady. The New Patriots American football team star and a four-time Super Bowl MVP award winner prioritise sleep. In the past, he has confessed to Parade Magazine that he’s all tucked up in bed by 8.30 pm. Sleep is his priority, and he considers his bed the only place where he can get the recovery he needs.

Michelle Wie

Golfing star Michelle Wie made a name for herself when she became the youngest person to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. She was just 10. Since then, she has enjoyed five career wins and made waves in professional golf. Like other sports stars, sleep is a major priority for her. She once told Golf Digest she’ll sleep for at least 12 hours when she can. Any less than 10, and she doesn’t feel good.

How do you sleep like an elite athlete?

Of course, there are some specific things to get a good night’s sleep, such as creating a restful environment, and lesser-known tricks can give you that performance-boosting edge. Let’s take a look:

Understand circadian rhythms

Circadian rhythms — this is your body’s internal clock and tells you when it’s time to get up or go to bed. When it’s dark, your eyes send the message to your brain that it’s time to go to sleep, and your brain produces melatonin, which makes you tired.

This clock runs 24 hours a day, and you’ll most notice the effects of your body’s circadian rhythm when you experience disturbances to your sleep pattern. For instance, if you suffer from jet lag or stay up late to watch the Super Bowl, the big fight or other mega sports event occurs in the early hours. Understanding your body’s circadian rhythm can help you get the sleep you need to perform better.

5 Sleeping tips for reducing jet lag

Before you travel

Choose a window seat so you can lean against it, and if you fall asleep, you will not be woken by other passengers who need to move.
Upgrade to extra leg room so you can relax and stretch out.
If you are travelling for a particular work or personal occasion, try and fly the day before, giving you time to adjust your mind and body to local time.
Try adjusting your sleep by 1 hour each day per time zone travelling, starting a few days before you travel.
Limit caffeine and alcohol.
Pack and be organised before you travel to reduce stress.
Have an early night before you travel.

2. During your trip

Try and get some sleep. Power naps are helpful. The following will help
Wear comfortable clothing
Use an eye mask and earplugs
Have a travel pillow
Have a jacket or jumper to keep warm

Keep hydrated through flights with plenty of water.
Move around if you can, and walk up and down the aisle to stretch your legs.
Don’t drink too much alcohol or caffeine. Try and limit it to one, as air travel can affect how your body reacts to alcohol, and caffeine can make you dehydrated.
Change your clock on all your devices to the time of where you are going too.
Remember to eat and satisfy your stomach, most flights do have healthy options.
If you are on a long-haul flight and have a stopover, try to make this overnight so you can get some proper sleep, as this will help your body adjust more gradually to the changes in the time zone.
Once you arrive
When you have arrived at your destination, stay awake and try and avoid napping until it is bedtime.
If you arrive in the sunshine, try to walk around and get some exercise, which will give you an energy boost.
Try to spend as much time outside in daylight in the first few days, as this will help you adjust quickly to the different time zone.
Eat when others eat and drink plenty of water.

Identifying your chronotype

We’re guessing you’ve heard the terms’ night owl’ and ‘early bird’.

These terms describe types of chronotype loosely. Think of chronotypes as ‘sleep personalities’, our natural inclination to be more active or less active at certain times of the day. Identifying our sleep personalities can stop us from acting in ways that work against our natural chronotypes and how we recover from our activities.

It’s then a question of timing our sleep into phases or cycles which suit our chronotypes. This can get complicated and even involve sleeping at times you wouldn’t expect to. You may even wish to ask a sleep specialist to advise you on this.

Investing in a good-quality mattress

This might seem obvious, but having a good quality mattress is essential. A good mattress should be comfortable and supportive and can last anywhere between 6 and 10 years. If it becomes uncomfortable and you need a new one, don’t try to eek more out of it on the notion that it should unconditionally offer you 6 to 10 years of use. Other factors such as the mattress’s general stress - are you letting the kids jump up and down on it, for instance? How well you take care of the mattress will affect the time your mattress serves you.

High-performing athletes do more than eat a good diet and train like trojans; they get a solid night’s sleep, focusing on quality and quantity. That includes using bedding that offers enough comfort for them to achieve this. Incorporate a little knowledge of how your body works when it comes to sleeping, and you could fall asleep. That helps you to perform at the top of your game, too!