How Elite Athletes ACTUALLY Sleep

Summary

This video script delves into the sleep habits of elite athletes, exploring methods like Ronaldo's 90-minute sleep cycles and Federer's 12-hour sleep claims. It challenges the sensationalism around sleep and emphasizes the importance of natural recovery processes over reliance on tech or supplements. The narrator embarks on a 30-day sleep experiment, guided by a renowned sleep coach, to understand and optimize sleep for better energy and performance, ultimately advocating for a balanced, individualized approach to achieving restorative rest.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Elite athletes prioritize sleep for recovery, energy, and performance, with varying methods such as long hours or polyphasic sleep cycles.
• 🕒 The concept of sleep cycles is highlighted, with 90-minute cycles being optimal for feeling refreshed without grogginess.
• 🌞 Morning sunlight is crucial for resetting circadian rhythms and promoting wakefulness throughout the day.
• 🛌 Sleep quality is influenced by various factors including light exposure, supplements, and even the sleep environment.
• 🤔 The authenticity of reported sleep methods by athletes is questioned, suggesting that the actual amount of sleep they get may differ from what is publicly stated.
• 🧘‍♂️ Athletes use unconventional techniques like hyperbaric chambers and altitude training for recovery, which may not be necessary for the average person.
• 🚫 The reliance on caffeine and other stimulants is common but can lead to a vicious cycle of dependence and decreased sleep quality.
• 💊 There is a growing trend of using supplements and sleeping aids, but these are not always necessary and can have negative side effects.
• 🌱 A balanced, nutrient-dense diet can provide the necessary elements for good sleep without the need for additional supplements.
• 🛌 The importance of a conducive sleep environment is emphasized, but it does not have to be extravagant or expensive to be effective.
• 🔄 Being flexible with sleep and adapting to one's natural sleep patterns is key to achieving optimal rest and recovery.

Q & A

How many hours does Roger Federer claim to sleep?

Roger Federer claims to sleep around 12 hours.

What is the reported sleep duration for Usain Bolt?

Usain Bolt reportedly sleeps between nine and a half to ten hours a night.

What is Ronaldo's unique sleep pattern, as mentioned in the script?

Ronaldo reportedly sleeps for 90 minutes five times a day, viewing sleep in cycles instead of a continuous block of time.

What is the term used to describe the increased anxiety and stress caused by sleep tracking devices?

The term is 'orthosomnia'.

What is the significance of morning sunlight for athletes according to the script?

Morning sunlight is important for setting the circadian rhythm and optimizing energy levels throughout the day.

What is the recommended sleep cycle duration according to the sleep coach mentioned in the script?

The recommended sleep cycle duration is 90 minutes, which is considered an optimum cycle for recovery.

What is a 'caffeine nap' and how does it work?

A 'caffeine nap' is a short nap taken after consuming caffeine. The idea is that the caffeine will kick in as you wake up from the nap, providing an energy boost.

Why do some elite athletes reportedly sleep for unusually long hours?

While some athletes may allocate a lot of time to sleep, the actual time spent sleeping may vary. It could be a part of their public image or marketplace narrative rather than their actual sleep habits.

What are some of the factors that influence sleep quality according to the script?

Factors that influence sleep quality include exposure to blue light, caffeine intake, the use of supplements, and the sleep environment.

What is the role of supplements in the sleep routines of elite athletes?

Supplements like magnesium and potassium can play a role in sleep routines, but they are not essential. A balanced diet can provide necessary nutrients, and supplements may offer additional benefits.

What is the conclusion of the script regarding achieving sleep like an elite athlete?

The conclusion is that achieving elite-level sleep is about being flexible with your sleep, mastering the basics, and being in tune with natural processes rather than relying on fancy products or technology.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Elite Athlete Sleep Secrets

This paragraph delves into the sleep habits of top athletes, such as Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, and Cristiano Ronaldo, revealing that they prioritize sleep for recovery and performance enhancement. The script discusses the potential exaggeration and misinformation surrounding these sleep routines and how sleep is a critical yet underutilized tool in the athlete's arsenal. The speaker embarks on a journey to understand and emulate these sleep methods, seeking advice from a renowned sleep coach and committing to a 30-day experiment to test the impact on biomarkers like cortisol and testosterone.

05:02

🌞 The Importance of Light and Circadian Rhythm

The second paragraph focuses on the role of light in regulating sleep patterns and enhancing daytime energy levels. It emphasizes the significance of morning sunlight exposure for resetting the circadian rhythm and the use of daylight lamps by athletes to maintain alertness. The speaker also touches on the potential over-reliance on caffeine and other stimulants as a substitute for proper sleep, and the influence of technology and media on sleep habits. The paragraph introduces the concept of a midday recovery period and the use of a sleep diary to track sleep patterns without high-tech devices.

10:02

🛌 Sleep Environment and Advanced Techniques

In the final paragraph, the emphasis shifts to the sleep environment and advanced sleep techniques used by elite athletes. It discusses the individual strategies employed by athletes like Federer to optimize their sleep conditions and the use of hyperbaric chambers for recovery. The speaker reflects on the sensationalism surrounding sleep products and the importance of focusing on natural sleep processes rather than relying on supplements or technology. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's personal results from the sleep experiment, highlighting the benefits of a nutrient-dense diet and the stability it brought to their energy levels, and the realization that mastering the basics of sleep is key to achieving elite-level recovery.

Keywords

💡Elite Athlete

An 'elite athlete' refers to a person who has reached the highest level of proficiency in their sport, often competing at an international level. In the video's context, elite athletes are highlighted for their exceptional sleep habits, which are considered a crucial part of their recovery and performance optimization routines. Examples include Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, and Ronaldo, who are mentioned for their unique sleep patterns.

💡Sleep Cycles

Sleep cycles are the natural progression of sleep stages that a person goes through during a night's sleep, typically lasting around 90 minutes each. The concept is central to the video's theme, as it discusses how athletes like Ronaldo utilize sleep cycles to optimize their rest and recovery. The script mentions that waking up after completing a full sleep cycle can prevent grogginess and enhance performance.

💡Recovery

Recovery in the context of the video pertains to the process of rest and restoration that athletes undergo to repair muscle tissue, consolidate memory, and rejuvenate their bodies after intense physical activity. Sleep is portrayed as a vital component of this recovery process, with the video exploring various methods athletes use to maximize their recovery through sleep.

💡Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant commonly used to increase alertness and reduce the feeling of fatigue. The video discusses the use of caffeine by athletes and the general public to combat low energy levels, but also warns against the vicious cycle of dependence that can result from excessive use, as it can lead to more tiredness in the long run.

💡Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress and is mentioned in the script as one of the biomarkers that can be affected by sleep quality. High cortisol levels can interfere with sleep and recovery, making it an important factor for athletes to manage. The video suggests that optimizing sleep can help regulate cortisol levels, contributing to better recovery.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a role in muscle growth and recovery. The video script mentions tracking changes in testosterone levels as part of the sleep experiment, implying that sleep quality can have a direct impact on this hormone, which is crucial for athletes' physical performance and recovery.

💡Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for various bodily functions, including muscle relaxation and nerve function. In the video, it is mentioned as a supplement that can potentially aid sleep. The script suggests that while supplements like magnesium can be beneficial, a balanced diet can also provide necessary nutrients for sleep and recovery.

💡Circadian Rhythm

The circadian rhythm is an internal biological clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. The video emphasizes the importance of sunlight exposure in the morning to reset and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, which is vital for optimizing energy levels and sleep quality.

💡Blue Light

Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum with a short wavelength, which is emitted by the sun and electronic devices. The video discusses the impact of blue light on the circadian rhythm and sleep, noting that morning exposure to natural blue light can boost wakefulness, while avoiding it before bed can improve sleep quality.

💡Polyphasic Sleep

Polyphasic sleep refers to sleep patterns that involve sleeping multiple times within a 24-hour period, rather than in a single long sleep. The video mentions this concept as a tool for athletes to optimize their recovery and performance, suggesting that short naps during the day, such as the 30-minute recovery period recommended by Nick, can enhance productivity and well-being.

💡Sleep Environment

The sleep environment encompasses all the factors surrounding a person's sleeping space, including noise, light, temperature, and comfort. The video script discusses how elite athletes like Roger Federer prioritize optimizing their sleep environment to ensure the best possible rest and recovery, which can include measures like renting multiple houses or using specialized facilities.

💡Individuality

Individuality in the context of the video refers to the unique needs and preferences of each person when it comes to sleep and recovery. The script emphasizes that while there are general principles for good sleep hygiene, the most effective sleep routines are tailored to the individual's lifestyle and habits, allowing for flexibility and personalization.

Highlights

Elite athletes prioritize sleep for recovery, energy, and mental toughness, with varying sleep methods such as Roger Federer's 12-hour sleep and Ronaldo's 5 times a day naps.

Sleep is considered a powerful performance enhancer, yet there's a lack of clarity and honesty in the methods athletes use.

The video explores the secretive recovery routines of elite athletes, including sleep coaching by professionals used by Guardiola, Ferguson, and Wenger.

Sleep cycles are essential, with athletes like Ronaldo following a 90-minute cycle, aiming for 7.5 hours of sleep.

The importance of morning sunlight for setting circadian rhythms and optimizing energy levels throughout the day.

Wearable tech and sleep monitoring devices are used to track sleep patterns, but can sometimes cause anxiety.

The influence of blue light on sleep and the use of daylight lamps to promote wakefulness.

Caffeine is a common energy booster among athletes, but it can lead to dependency and an unhealthy cycle.

The use of supplements like magnesium and potassium for sleep, though a balanced diet can also provide necessary nutrients.

The potential downsides of using sleeping tablets and the importance of understanding the nature of such substances.

The role of the sleep environment in optimizing recovery, including the use of hyperbaric chambers by athletes.

The concept of a 'caffeine nap' to enhance productivity and reduce the need for external stimulants.

The importance of being flexible with sleep and adapting to various environments for optimal recovery.

The individuality of sleep needs and the focus on mastering the basics rather than relying on fancy products.

The experiment conducted by the author to sleep like an elite athlete, including blood tests to measure biomarkers.

The results of the sleep experiment, emphasizing the benefits of a nutrient-dense diet and the stability of energy levels.

The conclusion that sleep is not an optional luxury but a necessity, and the importance of being in tune with natural sleep processes.

The final message that sleep mastery involves individuality, consistency, and resilience, rather than reliance on technology or supplements.

Transcripts

want to sleep like an elite athlete I

know I used to want to they push their

recovery to the max in the name of high

energy mental toughness and domination

but many of their sleep methods are

interesting so Roger Federer claims to

sleep around about 12 hours Usain Bolt a

famous Sprinter slept somewhere between

nine and a half to ten hours a night

then of course we've also got reports of

Ronaldo sleeping five times a day sleep

is probably the greatest legal

performance enhancing drug that few

athletes are abusing enough but claims

and methods seem shrouded in dishonesty

by poor journalistic communication and

financial incentives it's not helping

with what's been dubbed a sleep loss

epidemic and it is fast becoming one of

the greatest public health challenges

that we face in the 21st century what

really goes into the secretive recovery

routines of elite athletes I went to the

man who showed Ronaldo how to sleep with

some of the most elite clientele for

answers because the advice of sin has

always seemed over the top and dare I

say a very suspect if sleep weren't a

normal thing it would be a banned

substance it is the most powerful thing

that everyone has in the toolbox and so

few people use this is what woman Will's

strongest man 2017 this was the game

changer what are we actually witnessing

here and is there actually any truth in

this sleep is the ultimate luxury it's

time to find out what is really going on

here

lately I've been extremely low on energy

my solution is to reach for the caffeine

which results in more tiredness a

vicious cycle that repeats over and over

the reality is this is a norm for most

people and this cycle is encouraged by

drug companies social media and the

entertainment industry with Netflix CEO

stating sleep as their biggest

competitor this is not in your best

interest the shorter your sleep the

shorter your life but when you look to

the people at the top it seems

incredibly secretive and unconventional

you hear of Michael Phelps sleeping in

an altitude chamber Djokovic bringing

his own hyperbaric chamber to the US

Open I mean just look at some of these

sleep facilities the more you look into

it the more bizarre things get

there's wristbands that monitor motion

will show when and how often his

athlete's sleep is being interrupted

where it's to recover the bodies to

sleeping well so sleep even after months

of research I still couldn't make sense

of it all until I came across this man

so after promising an unbiased video on

the topic to those inside my body

transformation Workshop it was time to

get to work over the next 30 days I'll

be attempting to sleep like an elite

athlete as Guided by the Sleep coach

used by Guardiola Ferguson Wenger and

countless others providing you of an

actionable plan at the end now you're

watching this on YouTube because I

believe this is extremely important for

everyone to see I have two blood tests

for the first I took a month off all

supplements only consuming my regular

diet the second test will be after 30

days on all of these supplements while

applying the advice all track changes to

cortisol testosterone magnesium and many

more biomarkers which can help with

sleep now before we go for a day in the

life we need to cover the fundamentals

okay so why was Ronaldo sleeping for 90

minutes five times a day you see little

Hills athletes view sleep differently

they view it in Cycles instead of time

there's different crucial stages in

sleep but time to go through each of

these is around 90 minutes wake up in

the middle of a sleep cycle and you'll

probably feel groggy if you start

thinking Cycles rather than I've got to

get my eight hours then five 90 minute

Cycles is 7.5 hours there's that sort of

optimum 30 15 minutes in 15 minutes out

gives you that sort of area of hate this

is what Ronaldo seems to be doing just

in a weird way to fit his routine but

this doesn't explain the bizarre amount

of sleep the athletes reportedly get

we've got Roger Federer LeBron James and

Michelle Wie claiming around 12 hours a

day why does it seem like Elite athletes

sleep for so long they might be

allocating that amount of time to sleep

but whether actually sleeping during

that time is a completely different

matter I don't come across any athletes

in in my world and by default other

Associated athletes like you've

mentioned where that's probably just a

thing that's that's put into their

Marketplace saying well I allocate this

amount of time to it but whether they do

it or not is another matter so it makes

much more sense to take a report to a

pinch of salt look at sleep cycles per

week when you choose to fit these in

it's going to be down to your own

lifestyle and this helps take the

pressure off a bad night's sleep the

strategies you're about to hear come

down to priming your body and

environment to achieve this

you can't manage what you cannot measure

as the saying wearable tech claims to

provide impressive insight into sleep

metrics in fact in 2020 the NBA

purchased 2 000 aura rings for players

to wear as they can help determine when

an athlete is about to be ill before

symptoms this is one of the reasons I've

wanted one for so long they genuinely

look useful for now though I'm going to

be using a basic sleep diary obviously

it's not as high tech but I'll give you

access to this at the end of the video

just make sure to not be too obsessive

there's already a medical term called

orthosomnia for the increased anxiety

and stress that's created by oh dear my

sleep went down my Sleep Quality went

down my deep sleep went down and what

does that mean for my day or the rest of

the week this is why Elite athletes

focus on the factors which influence

sleep and this starts as soon as you

wake up

blue light is the first factor which is

important for setting your circadian

rhythm to optimize your energy levels

throughout the day it's not about just

getting outside you know it's it's not

about just getting a nice fresh air and

going for a walk there's a hell of a lot

going on here and the way you get that

really nice balance wow it's why

athletes prioritize getting morning

sunlight and Nick likes to install

daylight lamps to promote wakefulness

because when your body sends a sunlight

it shuts off the Melatonin production so

you when you wake up you're not groggy

you literally just wake up yeah like oh

the day has started now this sounds very

liver king-esque but it is actually

something to take seriously light

viewing early in the day is the most

powerful stimulus for wakefulness

throughout the day and it has a powerful

positive impact on your ability to fall

and stay asleep at night of course light

isn't the only energy boosting factor

with the record-breaking Liverpool 2020

Squad and many others reportedly make a

dosing caffeine before games is caffeine

abuse common in elite football common

Josh there has been in a growing

addictive behavior to a number of

factors those are all the little things

that you can access without prescription

you mentioned them caffeine sleeping

tablets melatonin supplements CBDs the

list is ends this darker side is

something you might have suspected and

you think of a pyramid or you think of

the iceberg

above the sea line you can you can see

that there's been a an increase in these

things being used for all sorts of

reasons when you look below

it's much greater

and he's growing much faster you just

can't it's not being revealed as much

worse substance is a secret behind Elite

athletes exceptional energy levels

because I wasn't convinced it was

sunlight

interestingly Federer's 12 hours of

sleep doesn't come in one block with two

hours of his time dedicated to getting a

90-minute sleep cycle in the day you see

we have a natural lull in energy around

2PM which is why Nick recommends a short

recovery period here just do something

even go for a walk sit outside

play a few more chords on your guitar

because you never get time to do it you

know and don't think of it as a waste of

time it's a it's a 30 minute slot it

used to be called a nap it's actually a

polyphasic performance recovery tool

it'll make you more productive you'll

get more out of your day you'll stop

wasting valuable time sleeping without

benefits because your motivation your

mood and all of this sort of stuff is in

a much more harmonious place so why is

it the most important 30 minutes of your

day I've just mentioned enough and

there's even more something you might

want to consider in this slot is a

caffeine nap if you're doing it every

day then you can do caffeine bang if you

fall into a micro sleep at your desk or

even with your headphones on where

you're sat right now then the caffeine

will just slightly kick in as you're

coming out of that 30 minute period and

then you can use things like light but

the more you do it whether you sleep or

not the less you need those things but

this will seem fairly Sim pool and my

goal here is to maximize my sleep so

where are these more Advanced Techniques

around one to two hours before we sleep

we want to start feeling tired so you

very much think about moving from bright

blue energy lights to diminish light

like candle yellow that sort of thing

this is why Harlan wears blue light

blockers before bed knocking on looking

like an Elton John tribute then consider

bulbs where you can remove the blue

light from just be careful not to

accidentally create your local Red Light

District now of course there's many

supplements which can seem extremely

beneficial for Sleep the one that seems

to be in my world is magnesium and

potassium you put them together and they

become quite powerful of course these in

supplement form aren't essential

supplements can can help with that

process but you can get all those little

things that you need from a nice healthy

balanced semi-plant-based five a day

type of approach a lot of footballers

seem to use supplements to help them

sleep after late kickoffs oh yeah I'm

going home celebrate with the family and

have a chamomile tea and sleep

this is one of the things I took even

though I am more skeptical when it comes

to supplements I took a fair few to test

against a healthy diet what would you

say to people who are using like alcohol

and drugs to help them sleep

good luck

a lot of products including sleeping

tablets are available online without

prescription they just arrive in a brown

box at your door and if it's called a

sleeping tablet maybe that's what it's

for to help you sleep just like a

painkiller but it isn't it's a highly

active drug that's only used to sedate

and reset and should only be used for a

very short period of time under specific

clinical reasons I do have a fair few

called Sleep Products now but I still

thought there was more out there was it

the Sleep environment

[Music]

Federer made headlines when he rented

out two houses during a competition one

for him the Opera for his family so his

sleep environment was as optimal as

possible before home games Man City

players sleep at their state-of-the-art

200 million recovery facilities then we

also have hyperbaric chambers backed by

some fairly convincing evidence this is

what won me World's Strongest Man 2017

this was the game changer this was my

perception of elite athlete recovery

secrecy extortionate individualized

approaches and questionable product

placement it can be difficult to make

sense of it all but if you learn one

thing from my mistakes let it be to

focus on things in order of importance I

strongly believe most people should

invest more into Wellness but marketers

like to inflate the importance of their

products sure they might help but good

sleep isn't something exclusive to the

elite sleep unfortunately is not an

optional lifestyle luxury

the way we achieve high-level optimized

recovery is because we've gone down that

journey and we can sleep anywhere

Anytime Anyplace up the side of a

mountain hanging off a cliff

what a lot of this comes down to is

being in tune with our natural processes

and it's not about fancy products it is

really your if you can bring into your

room in any way through colors

visualization sensory anything you can

do to make that feel a little bit more

natural orientating then what you do is

you're able to adapt any environment to

suit what you and your brain need to

optimize your recovery and you take the

emphasis away from

but so too dare I save marketing

that comes with a lot of

products this stuff doesn't need to be

expensive in fact when coaching the

wildly successful UK cycling team of the

Tour de France Nick achieved Black Op

Lines by taping bin bags to the windows

I'm not suggesting you do this your

neighbors will probably think you're a

serial killer but what I was hearing was

drastically different to the headlines

and advertisements

the media likes the short queue of just

how important sleep is I'm not going to

argue with that but if you think back to

when you slept the best it was probably

when you're a kid now things have

changed when it's a highly

individualized one percent gains which

get presented to you as the secret

behind athletes careers with marketers

convincing you you need sleeping pills

to sleep sleep gets sensationalized and

people start to overlook the basics

athletes traveled to far away places

with many sleep challenges they aren't

all sleeping 12 hours a night hooked to

machines with magical contraptions

[Music]

sleeping like an elite athlete is about

being flexible with your sleep what's

your secret because you're showing no

signs of slowing down Christmas Secrets

don't exist Secrets pioneering Tech and

supplements are great in the right

situation I've always loved this stuff

maybe a bit too much but the second you

become dependent on a ring Tech or

Endocrinology to sleep you've already

lost we have a lot of knowledge and a

lot of research we have the ability to

do so many more things and it'll keep

coming

but there's always that sort of thing

that it's still a human being and so you

do have to step back a little bit and

just go let me just remind myself I am

Josh this is what makes me tick fueling

up hydration recovery that's what makes

me tick and the more I'm in line with

that the better I'm going to be to deal

with everything else that's coming along

and sometimes it is nothing more than

just stepping back and reminding those

things before you go off doing anything

else okay so here's my results before

the Sleep Experiment all biomarkers were

good yes some of the metrics were

improved further with supplements may be

providing a small benefit but nutrient

dense diet was sufficient my energy

levels are now more stable and I'm less

dependent on caffeine but if I've

learned anything from the months of

research individuality consistency

resilience that is how you sleep like an

elite athlete master the basics and

maybe just maybe you don't need that

fancy product

[Music]

thank you