Elite athletes from various sports have shared their personal strategies for achieving quality sleep, highlighting the challenges of travel, competition stress, and irregular schedules. From kiwi fruit to history videos, their methods offer insights for anyone seeking better rest.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson: Kiwi fruit and weighted blankets
The two-time world champion heptathlete, 33, aims for nine hours of sleep per night, going to bed at 10pm and waking at 7am. She avoids tracking sleep after becoming obsessed with a Whoop band. Before bed, she eats a kiwi fruit, citing online trends that claim its vitamins and antioxidants improve sleep quality. She uses a satin blue sleep mask from Smug and a weighted blanket to prevent tossing and turning. When traveling, she opens curtains immediately upon arrival to adjust to daylight. For big competitions, she banks sleep in the week leading up, getting 10-11 hours nightly plus naps. Her top tip from psychiatrist Steve Peters: settle the worrying voice by telling herself, 'Now is not the time to think about this,' and dedicating worry time the next morning.
Adam Peaty: History videos and firm pillows
The three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer, 31, prioritizes sleep quality over quantity. He wears a Whoop device and undergoes blood biomarker tests for testosterone, melatonin, and magnesium. He eats three hours before bed and keeps a two-liter water bottle nearby. He uses an eye mask and Loop earplugs, and sleeps with three firm pillows for posture. On planes, he plays six-hour YouTube videos of WWII history facts to fall asleep. For competitions, he accumulates sleep debt by getting consistent sleep for two to three weeks prior.
Ezri Konsa: Consistency and preparation
The England defender, 28, aims for seven to eight hours of sleep nightly. He uses a Whoop but no other gadgets, as he falls asleep easily. For travel, he stays in hotels before games and avoids thinking about home time to ease jet lag. Late kick-offs are challenging due to adrenaline; he allows his body time to calm down. His top tip is consistency—going to bed at a similar time each night. Preparation during the week helps him relax before big matches.
Emily Campbell: Cooling mattress and peppermint tea
The Olympic silver medalist weightlifter, 32, is in bed by 9:30pm and asleep by 10-10:30pm, sleeping until 8am. She tracks sleep via a daily questionnaire for her coach, rating alertness and stress. Before bed, she drinks peppermint and honey tea and takes vitamin D, glucosamine, and creatine. She invested in a mattress with a cooling layer to regulate temperature. She avoids going to bed hungry, as proper fueling improves training and sleep.
Henry Pollock: Mint tea and phone-off routine
The Northampton Saints and England rugby union player, 21, goes to bed at 10:30pm and wakes at 7am. He tracks sleep with an Apple Watch. He avoids eating too close to bed, but his last meal is a protein shake or yoghurt with fruit and granola. He wears earbuds for quiet and an eye mask when away. To wind down, he talks with his teammate about non-rugby topics and picks mint leaves from his herb garden for tea. He turns off his phone 30 minutes before bed and reads a book.
Amy Jones: Earplugs and sleep meditation
The international cricketer and wicketkeeper, who can squat nearly 300 times during a match, struggles with adrenaline after evening games. Some teammates use sour cherry juice or gel for sleep. She uses the Calm app for sleep meditation, especially during T20 World Cups with late matches. Earplugs are essential due to noisy hotels on weekends. She avoids caffeine after 3pm.
Harriet Dart: Bath with Epsom salts and blackout blinds
The British tennis player, 29, goes to bed between 9:30pm and 10pm, adjusting for evening matches. She does not track sleep but her coach asks about it. She drinks mint tea before bed and uses a silk eye mask and blackout blinds. She takes baths with Epsom salts to de-stress, and uses meditation techniques like breathing and body scans when struggling to sleep. For jet lag, she trains early, takes 20-minute naps, wears compression socks, and sets the same temperature everywhere.
Tom Dean: No phone in bedroom and cold room
The triple Olympic gold medalist swimmer has lights out before 10pm and wakes at 6:30am. He avoids spending time in his bedroom except for sleeping, relaxing in the sitting room. He sleeps in a cold room with the window open. He eats a 600-calorie pre-bed snack of Greek yoghurt with fruit, granola, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds, sometimes adding sour cherry juice. He avoids alcohol and processed foods. For travel, he avoids naps for the first three days after landing and uses caffeine in the morning until midday.
Alex Yee: Audiobooks and cherry juice
The Olympic triathlete, 28, goes to bed at 11pm and gets about seven and a half hours of sleep. He wears a Coros watch for tracking but is relaxed about it. He takes cherry juice for antioxidants, claiming it gives 30 minutes more deep sleep. He listens to audiobooks, podcasts, or YouTube videos to fall asleep, a habit from childhood. He avoids fluids 90 minutes before bed to prevent waking for the toilet. For competitions, he maintains calmness about sleep, knowing that two days before a race, lack of sleep has minimal impact. He adapted to early wake-ups at the Paris Olympics due to water pollution concerns.
These athletes demonstrate that while sleep challenges vary, consistency, relaxation techniques, and personalized aids can improve rest and performance.
