Athlete's Sleep Guide: Science-Backed Methods for Better Recovery
In a world obsessed with biohacking, longevity, and squeezing more into every hour, we tend to overlook the simplest performance booster of all: sleep. It's free, it's natural, and it’s absolutely essential. Sleep underpins everything from energy levels to immunity so it's a big red flag that nearly half (48%) of all Australian adults are know to have at least two sleep-related problems (1). Let's dive into some gender-specific tips that may help you get some more shut-eye.
For Females
Women appear to be more predisposed to sleep insomnia compared to men, with 67% of women having trouble sleeping (2). Hormones are mainly responsible for this gender discrepancy. The fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle can cause physical and emotional changes that alter sleep. Then you have the menopause transition, where sleep tosses and turns. During this transition, women may have more trouble falling asleep and wake more frequently, especially early in the morning.
Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice: Is naturally high in melatonin, which promotes sleep. Have it cold with ice 30 minutes before bed to help lower your core temperature. Found in Switch Nutrition - Sleep Plus.
Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps reduce cortisol and anxiety and regulates body temperature. Switch Nutrition - Ashwagandha Capsules.
Rhodiola: Rhodiola is also an adaptogen that can help balance neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine (both are happy hormones regulating mood, which can affect sleep).
For Males
Males are generally able to fall asleep faster than females; however, they tend to get less deep sleep, are more likely to snore and have obstructive sleep apnea (3,4,5). Females experience the urge to sleep earlier than males, while males are more likely to be “night owls” with a preference for staying up later (3).
For males, poor quality of sleep has been linked to erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, hypogonadal symptoms, low testosterone, and male infertility (6). Since males tend to get less deep sleep, a magnesium-melatonin-vitamin B supplement or even collagen peptides may be helpful if your Whoop tells you your deep sleep is lacking.
Collagen Peptides
One recent study on physically active males found that a 15 g/day glycine-rich collagen peptide supplementation 1 hour before bed across a week reduced awakenings and improved cognitive function in physically active males with sleep complaints (7). More research needs to be done in this space; however, it was an interesting finding. PILLAR Performance - Collagen Repair.
Magnesium
Magnesium is naturally found in green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Magnesium can help you fall asleep and induce deep sleep with its muscle relaxant properties. Magnesium supplementation can improve sleep efficiency in deep sleep and reduce early morning awakening and insomnia (8,9).
One research study on 60 men and women who were diagnosed with insomnia found that participants who took a magnesium-melatonin-vitamin B supplement for three months significantly improved their sleep (9). Try PILLAR Performance - Triple Magnesium Recovery Powder or if you don't like powder, try the PILLAR Magnesium Tablets.
PRO TIP: Mouth and Nose Strips
Don’t forget the nose and mouth strips! They may look funny, but who cares when you’re asleep? Mouth tape such as Switch Nutrition Sleep Plus Mouth Tape may help you breathe through your nose, which filters and humidifies the air to improve oxygen uptake for more restful sleep (10). Nasal strips, like On the Nose Nose Strip and Switch Nutrition Sleep Plus Nasal Strips gently open your airways, reduce snoring and boost airflow to help get that better night's sleep (11).
Sleep Hygiene Tips for both genders
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Keep your bedroom dark
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Cool room
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Have a hot shower or bath
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Choose your quiet or white noise
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Last meal 2 hours before bed
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Eat a Mediterranean diet with lots of plant variety
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Avoiding alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine in the evening
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Choose your supplements right
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Try to sleep seven or more hours per night regularly to promote optimal health (10)
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If sleep is reduced or broken overnight, aim for a power nap of 10-30 mins in the early afternoon to help restore clarity, decrease blood pressure and improve heart health (11)
Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition
References:
(1) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Sleep problems as a risk factor for chronic conditions. Canberra: AIHW; 2021. doi:10.25816/d2d7-p797.
(2) Zhang B, Wing YK. Sex differences in insomnia: a meta-analysis. Sleep. 2006 Jan;29(1):85-93. doi: 10.1093/sleep/29.1.85. PMID: 16453985.
(3) Spitschan, M., Santhi, N., Ahluwalia, A., Fischer, D., Hunt, L., Karp, N. A., Lévi, F., Pineda-Torra, I., Vidafar, P., & White, R. (2022). Sex differences and sex bias in human circadian and sleep physiology research.
(4) Morssinkhof, M. W. L., van der Werf, Y. D., van den Heuvel, O. A., van den Ende, D. A., van der Tuuk, K., den Heijer, M., & Broekman, B. F. P. (2023). Influence of sex hormone use on sleep architecture in a transgender cohort. Sleep, 46(11), zsad249.
(5) Geer, J. H., & Hilbert, J. (2021). Gender Issues in Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 94(3), 487–496.
(6) Kohn TP, Kohn JR, Haney NM, Pastuszak AW, Lipshultz LI. The effect of sleep on men's health. Transl Androl Urol. 2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S178-S185. doi: 10.21037/tau.2019.11.07. PMID: 32257858; PMCID: PMC7108988.
(7) Thomas C, Kingshott RN, Allott KM, Tang JCY, Dunn R, Fraser WD, Thorley J, Virgilio N, Prawitt J, Hogervorst E, Škarabot J, Clifford T. Collagen peptide supplementation before bedtime reduces sleep fragmentation and improves cognitive function in physically active males with sleep complaints. Eur J Nutr. 2024 Feb;63(1):323-335. doi: 10.1007/s00394-023-03267-w. Epub 2023 Oct 24. PMID: 37874350; PMCID: PMC10799148.
(8) Djokic G, Vojvodić P, Korcok D, Agic A, Rankovic A, Djordjevic V, Vojvodic A, Vlaskovic-Jovicevic T, Peric-Hajzler Z, Matovic D, Vojvodic J, Sijan G, Wollina U, Tirant M, Thuong NV, Fioranelli M, Lotti T. The Effects of Magnesium - Melatonin - Vit B Complex Supplementation in Treatment of Insomnia. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019 Aug 30;7(18):3101-3105.
(9) Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ. The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica (Cairo). 2017;2017:4179326. doi: 10.1155/2017/4179326. Epub 2017 Sep 28. PMID: 29093983; PMCID: PMC5637834. 10.3889/oamjms.2019.771. PMID: 31850132; PMCID: PMC6910806.
(10) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), 2023. Sleep Apnea. [online] National Institutes of Health. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-apnea [Accessed 7 Apr. 2025].
(11) Kirkness, J.P., Wheatley, J.R., Amis, T.C. & Walsh, J.H., 1997. Nasal dilator strips increase nasal airflow and reduce respiratory effort during sleep in healthy subjects. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 155(4), pp.1315–1319.
(12) Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9105071
(13) Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, Dinges DF, Gangwisch J, Grandner MA, Kushida C, Malhotra RK, Martin JL, Patel SR, Quan SF, Tasali E. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843-4. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4716. PMID: 26039963; PMCID: PMC4434546.
(14) Vizmanos B, Cascales AI, Rodríguez-Martín M, Salmerón D, Morales E, Aragón-Alonso A, Scheer FAJL, Garaulet M. Lifestyle mediators of associations among siestas, obesity, and metabolic health. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 May;31(5):1227-1239. doi: 10.1002/oby.23765. PMID: 37140401.
