A Bedtime Routine for Athletes: A Simple 30–60 Minute Wind-Down

You plan your training down to the set. Then the night gets whatever is left over. A bedtime routine is the simplest way to give sleep a plan too. Here's one built around real training days, with the reasoning behind each step.

Why a routine, and why athletes

The Sleep Foundation describes a bedtime routine as "a set of activities you perform in the same order, every night, in the 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed" (Sleep Foundation). Doing the same steps in the same order is the point. It tells you the day is over.

Athletes have a few extra reasons to care. An expert consensus on athlete sleep reports that athletes' sleep is shaped by sport-specific factors "relating to training, travel and competition," plus non-sport factors such as "stress and anxiety" (Walsh et al., 2020). Late sessions, early sessions, race nerves and travel all push on the same few hours.

The same consensus recommends "an individualised approach that should consider the athlete's perceived sleep needs." So treat everything below as a starting point to adjust, not a rulebook.

Start with the wake time

A routine starts in the morning. The Sleep Foundation suggests trying "to wake up at the same time" every day, weekday or weekend, and then working backward: "Calculate a target bedtime based on your fixed wake-up time" (Sleep Foundation).

If your alarm is 5:30 for a 6:00 class, your bedtime isn't "whenever." It's a number. Count back by the sleep you feel you need, then back again by your wind-down. That's when the routine starts.

The 30–60 minute wind-down

The Sleep Foundation suggests you "budget 30 minutes for winding down," and builds in "a 30-60 minute pre-bed buffer time that is device-free" (Sleep Foundation). Its bedtime-routine guide says to "put away electronics at the beginning of your bedtime routine" (Sleep Foundation).

What goes in that window is up to you. Options the Sleep Foundation lists include soft music, light stretching, reading and relaxation exercises. A few that fit athletes well:
- Tomorrow's kit, laid out. Shoes, bag, bottle. One less thing to think about in the dark.
- A short training note. What you did, how it felt. Then close the notebook.
- A to-do list. The Sleep Foundation suggests that if journaling feels like a lot, you can start "with a simple to-do list."
- Light stretching or slow breathing, easy enough that it isn't another workout.
- A warm shower or bath. The guide suggests "taking a warm bath at least an hour before you go to sleep."

After a late session

Evening training is a fact of life when work runs 9 to 5. If you finish late:
- Keep the wind-down, shorten it if you have to. Even 30 minutes of the same steps is still a routine.
- Shower and eat first, then start the device-free part.
- Don't move your wake time to make up for a late night. Shift bedtime instead, and if your schedule has to change, the Sleep Foundation suggests "small, step-by-step adjustments of up to an hour or two" (Sleep Foundation).

Food and drink

Hard training days can leave you hungry at night. The Sleep Foundation notes that heavy meals and alcoholic beverages before bed can lead to "middle-of-the-night bathroom trips that disrupt your sleep," but that "going to bed hungry can also upset your stomach and make it hard to fall asleep" (Sleep Foundation). The middle ground is a light snack.

Two more from the Sleep Foundation's sleep hygiene guide: caffeine is a stimulant, "so try to avoid it later in the day," and alcohol "may make it easier to fall asleep, but the effect wears off, disrupting sleep later in the night" (Sleep Foundation). If your pre-workout has caffeine in it, that counts.

Set up the room

The Sleep Foundation's routine guide suggests making the bedroom "as cool, dark, and quiet as possible," with the thermostat "somewhere between 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit" (Sleep Foundation). Here's a quick list:
- Cool: turn the heat down before you start winding down, not when you get into bed.
- Dark: blackout curtains or an eye mask.
- Quiet: earplugs, or a fan if that's what you like.
- Your bed: a pillow you don't have to fight with every night.

Change one or two things at a time

The easiest routine to keep is a small one. Sleep medicine physician Dr. David Rosen, quoted by the Sleep Foundation, recommends "making sure you only start with 1 or 2 routine changes at a time" (Sleep Foundation). Pick the wake time and the phone. Add the rest later.

A sample routine

For a 10:30 PM bedtime and a 6:00 AM wake time:
- 9:00: last snack if you need one. Heat turned down.
- 9:30: shower. Lay out tomorrow's kit.
- 9:45: phone on the charger, outside the bedroom if you can.
- 9:45–10:30: light stretching, a short training note, a book.
- 10:30: lights out.
- 6:00: same wake time, every day.

Move the clock to fit your life. Keep the order.

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Keep reading: Sleep for Lifters · Sleep for Runners · Can't Sleep Before a Race?

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FAQ

What time should athletes go to bed?
There's no single time. Pick a fixed wake time, then count back by the sleep you feel you need. An expert consensus (Walsh et al., 2020) on athlete sleep recommends an individual approach based on the athlete's perceived sleep needs.

How long should a bedtime routine be?
The Sleep Foundation describes 30 to 60 minutes, with screens put away at the start.

What if I train late at night?
Keep the routine, even if it's shorter. Shower and eat first, then start the device-free wind-down, and keep your usual wake time.

Should I eat before bed after training?
The Sleep Foundation suggests avoiding heavy meals right before bed, but going to bed hungry can also make it hard to fall asleep. A light snack is the middle ground.

How do I start a sleep routine?
Change one or two things first, such as a fixed wake time and phones out of the bedroom. Add more once those stick.