How Sleep Habits of Pro Athletes Affect Their Performance

1. Light

Light influences our sleep during many phases of our sleep cycle.

In the morning, natural light helps our body wake up and prepare for the activities of the day. At night, darkness signals our brain to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps us fall asleep and stay asleep.

Professional athletes make sure they have a lot of sunlight in the morning, to fully awaken their bodies. At night, they turn off their screens at least an hour before going to bed.

The darkness of your room can affect the quality of your sleep, so pro athletes make sure to keep their bedrooms dark.

If you feel your bedroom is not dark enough, you may want to look into blackout curtains or learn how to wear a sleep mask to block out any disruptive light.

2. Temperature

Your body naturally cools down as you fall asleep. If the temperature is too warm, your body won’t be able to relax and slow down, and can cause you to be uncomfortable or wake up often.

“Set your bedroom temperature to a maximum of 69 degrees Fahrenheit (that equals to 20.5 degrees Celsius),” says Drew Little, C.S.C.S., a performance specialist at Michael Johnson Performance, a state of the art training facility in Texas. (3)

3. Routine

Your internal clock tells you when to fall asleep and when to wake. When it’s well-regulated, you are less likely to experience insomnia or night waking.

You need at least three hours of uninterrupted sleep for your body to produce testosterone and human growth hormone (GHG) –both the hormones needed to help build muscle mass and repair cells. (1)

Pro athletes try to have the same wake time and bedtime every day. They know it only takes two days of breaking your routine to throw off your entire sleep pattern.

Sleep and athletic performance research scientist Cheri Mah says, “It can be helpful to set a daily alarm on your phone to help remind you of your targeted bedtime. For example, set the alarm one hour before bedtime, which gives you 30 minutes to wrap things up for the day, and 30minutes to wind down before bed.” (2)

4. Worry

You can bet pro athletes worry about the “big game” or competition in the days (and nights) leading up to it.

Sports psychologists often tell pro athletes to keep a notebook by the bed, and if they find themselves worrying, to write down the worry.

The hope is that by writing down the thought, you will take it out of your mind until you wake in the morning.

5. Comfort

To get the best night’s sleep, you need to feel comfortable. At pro athletic training facilities, sleep experts analyze everything.

Dr. Mark Rosekind recommends cotton sheets; bigger beds; and even hypoallergenic pillows for some pro athletes.

Manchester City’s soccer team even has wallpaper designed to help the players sleep- no detail is too small when it comes to sleeping well!

If you feel uncomfortable at night or wake up feeling stiff, your mattress or pillows may be wrong for your sleep style.

It’s not always an expensive fix. For example, adding or removing a pillow top can change the firmness of your mattress. If you sleep on your side, try a fluffier pillow. If you’re a back-sleeper, use a flat one.