From Alex Sedrick of the US Women’s Rugby team sprinting 103 yards (309 feet) in the last 10 seconds of the game to take home their first Olympic medal, to Simone Biles making history with some of the hardest routines to date and taking home 4 medals — The 2024 Paris Olympics have seen some unbelievable performances.
And a key factor many of these elite athletes credit their success to… is sleep.
Over the past 10-15 years, getting enough sleep each night has become a big conversation for athletes and laymen alike. And according to the U.S. Olympics and Paralympic’s Director of Psychological Services, Dr. Jessica Bartley, healthy sleep is key to giving elite athletes training for the Olympics that extra competitive edge.
Even so, a 2016 study shared by the International Olympic Committee revealed that 49% of Olympic athletes are “poor sleepers,” and these athletes often experienced “increased daytime dysfunction” and “a higher state of stress” because of it.
So how are these Olympic athletes protecting their sleep amid the hustle, bustle, and stress of competing on the world’s premier stage for athletics?
Read on for a breakdown of the top sleep habits and best sleep schedules preferred by 7 of the U.S.’s medal-winning elite athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Or, skip to the Olympic Athlete breakdown you're most curious about:
➤ Simone Biles
➤ Katie Ledecky
➤ Jordan Chiles
➤ Taylor Fritz
➤ Alex Sedrick
➤ Ryan Crouser
➤ Suni Lee
#1 Simone Biles
Specialty: Gymnastics; Beam, Floor, Vault, Uneven Bars, All-around
Awards: x11 Olympic Medals, x30 World Championship Medals
“I’m always looking forward to sleep. I actually love sleep,” Simone shared in an interview with Mattress Firm. “The most sacred is not breaking my bedtime routine,” Simone says. As a big advocate for mental health, Simone stresses how poor sleep impacts both her mind and body. She says a bad night makes her more grumpy and forgetful, and worsens her training.
In addition to 8 hours of nightly sleep, Simone often takes a 1-2 hour nap after her morning training to help her muscles recover for the rest of her day.
Example of Simone Bile’s daily routine:
➤ 6:45am Wake-up
➤ 7:45am Gets ready for training
➤ 9-12pm Training session #1
➤ 12-1pm Lunch
➤ 1-3pm Nap
➤ 3-6pm Training session #2
➤ 6-7pm Therapy, Recovery
➤ 7-8pm Dinner
➤ 8-9:30pm Unwind for bed
➤ 10pm Sleep
#2 Katie Ledecky
Specialty: Swimming; Freestyle distance, Free relay
Awards: x7 Olympic Medals, x19 World Championship Medals, Multiple World-Record Holder for Team USA
Even with a 4am wake-up time most days, Katie Ledecky makes sure she gets 8+ hours of sleep to fuel her record-smashing swim times. In addition to 8 hours of sleep every night, Katie takes 1-2 naps a day, fueling her body with an extra 3+ hours of sleep for recovery.
Example of Katie Ledecky’s daily routine:
➤ 4:05am Wake-up
➤ 4:15am Snack
➤ 5am Swim practice #1 (6-6,500 yd)
➤ 7am Breakfast
➤ 8am Nap
➤ 11am Dryland training (3 days/week)
➤ 1pm Relax (TV, book, nap)
➤ 3:30pm Swim practice #2 (7-8,000 yd)
➤ 6pm Snack
➤ 6:30pm Dinner, relax (TV or reading)
➤ 9:30pm Bedtime
#3 Jordan Chiles
Specialty: Gymnastics; All-around, Floor
Awards: x2 Olympic Medals
Winning her first two medals this year, Jordan Chiles is a big advocate for a good night’s sleep. “As an athlete, my body really craves sleep. It’s one of my favorite things,” she shares. She typically tries to nap before competitions alongside her usual 8 hours a night.
Jordan’s bedtime evening routine:
A consistent sleep schedule is key, Jordan shares. First thing after dinner, she likes to unwind with 20-30 minutes reconnecting with friends and loved ones. She’ll then do her skincare routine, followed by oral care. Then she’ll slip into bed and turn on a movie or TV for background noise while she spends the last bit of her day indulging in her favorite guilty pleasure: Pinterest. Her current obsession: home decor.
#4 Taylor Fritz
Specialty: Tennis; Mens’ Doubles
Awards: x1 Olympic Medal, x8 ATP Tour Singles Titles
Winning his first major event in just 2022, Taylor Fritz has quickly become one of the most exciting tennis players to watch. One of the top tools he credits with giving him his competitive edge: sleep.
“Sleeping well means better performance on the training court and in tournaments,” Taylor shares. “Physically, I’m more alert and ready to perform. Mentally, I feel sharper and more focused.”
So this year, he’s gotten more serious about optimizing his sleep. And he’s felt the difference in his gameplay.
“Sleep is just like any other aspect of your health,” he says. “Except this is one that can get overlooked often. Getting the best sleep possible is key for daily energy, focus and performance.”
#5 Alex Sedrick
Specialty: US Women’s Rugby Team
Awards: x1 Olympic Medal
The US Women’s Rugby team enjoyed a historic win this Olympics, clinching bronze in the first victory for the men's and women’s US rugby teams in 100 years (since 1924). It all came down to the last 10 seconds of the game, when Alex Sedrick made a jaw-dropping sprint down 103 yards (309 feet) for the win.
Alex shares that her team takes sleep seriously, with her coaches even creating team sleep schedules with details on when to take naps, how to optimize for REM sleep, and tips to avoid blue light.
When it comes to the impact of a bad night's rest, Alex shares that poor sleep “makes it harder to cope with stress and slows reaction times.” She adds, “your body’s just not being as snappy as you’d like. It just doesn’t seem like your muscles are firing as they normally would, and it’s really frustrating.”
Her takeaway: “Your body just won’t perform the same way it does on good sleep.”
Alex Sedrick's 2 favorite sleep tips:
#1 Acknowledge your stress and anxiety.
Competing on a world stage is stress-inducing and can naturally lead to sleepless nights. So Alex suggests confronting those anxieties head-on. It’s about “recognizing that thought and being aware of it, and choosing to either release it, acknowledge it, or accept it.”
#2 Build a consistent sleep routine.
Creating a regular routine has “really helped my body recover and have more consistent sleep throughout the night,” Alex shared. She suggests starting with any calming activity to help your mind wind down for the night, like a warm shower or listening to relaxing music.
#6 Ryan Crouser
Specialty: Shot Put
Awards: x3 Olympic medals, x1 World Record
Having just clinched his 3rd Olympic Gold Medal, Ryan credits getting 9 hours of nightly, high-quality sleep with helping him stay at the top of his game for almost a decade.
“A rule of thumb of athletes at the elite level, they’re all very good sleepers,” Ryan says. He believes “the #1 thing you can do to increase your recovery is optimizing your sleep.”
Ryan keeps his sleep schedule on track while traveling around the world for competitions with a few simple tips.
Ryan Crouser’s Go-To Sleep Habits:
- Limits blue-light exposure from his electronic devices 2-3 hours before bedtime
- Stops eating 2+ hours before bed
- Brings blackout curtains to limit light in his rooms
- Uses mouth tape to breathe through his nose
- Avoids alcohol (except for a 10-day vacation at the end of each season)
#7 Suni Lee
Specialty: Gymnastics; Beam, Floor, Vault, Uneven Bars, All-around
Awards: x3 Olympic Medals, x3 World Championship Medals
As one of the most decorated female artistic gymnastics champions of all time, Suni Lee appreciates the importance of sleep.
After dinner (7:30/8pm), she likes to decompress with a warm shower, her skincare routine, and oral care.
Then, it’s time for evening bliss-mode. She’ll light a candle and pull out her journal to reflect on the day, plan for the week, and clear her mind for a good night’s rest.
“I like to journal, either how I’m feeling right away or how I felt that day,” she says. “I always feel a lot more relief after.”
Afterward, she often uses her Theragun or Normatec Recovery Boots to boost circulation and help her muscles recover so they feel fresh and ready for action the next day.
The last thing she likes to do is visualize her routines to help her drift off. Then it’s lights out by 11pm.
But the #1 critical factor for her night: a high-quality sleep environment.
“I like silence and darkness to fall asleep,” she shares. “If there’s like one bit of light shining, I cannot fall asleep, and I don’t like when there’s any noise on, no TV or anything.”
