10 Sports Stars Detail 7- to 11-Hour Sleep Routines for Peak Recovery
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18
10 Sports Stars Detail 7- to 11-Hour Sleep Routines for Peak Recovery
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18
Summary
10 elite athletes across athletics, swimming, football, rugby, cricket, tennis, weightlifting and triathlon shared how they manage sleep to support recovery, travel and competition performance.
7 to 11 hours was the common target, but several said quality and consistency mattered more than perfection, with athletes often banking extra sleep or naps before major events.
Whoop bands, eye masks, earplugs, cooling mattresses, weighted blankets and meditation or audio routines featured heavily, while many avoided late meals, caffeine, alcohol or phone use before bed.
Travel and competition created the biggest obstacles: Johnson-Thompson called the Olympic Village one of the hardest places to sleep, while others cited jet lag, late kick-offs, noisy hotels and post-race adrenaline.
The routines varied from kiwi fruit and sour cherry juice to WWII history videos and audiobooks, underscoring how personalized sleep strategies have become in elite sport.