Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Rating Athlete Pre-Bed Habits

17 Dec 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:58

In this informal YouTube dialogue, two speakers evaluate common pre‑bed routines for athletes on a 0‑10 scale, explaining why certain habits help or hinder sleep and recovery. Scrolling in bed receives a zero due to blue‑light exposure and brain activation that impairs sleep onset and deep sleep. Journaling earns a perfect ten, praised for mental off‑loading. Hot showers also score ten, highlighted for increasing blood flow, aiding muscle recovery, and serving as a physiological cue for bedtime, a point reinforced by Dr. Andrew Huberman’s research. Eating a greasy, high‑fat meal right before sleep is rated zero because it causes digestive discomfort and reduces sleep quality; the speakers suggest focusing on protein and carbs instead. Finally, going to bed hungry is given a zero for most athletes in season, though it may be acceptable during a calorie deficit. The conversation blends practical advice, brief scientific references, and personal recommendations for optimizing nighttime habits to support athletic performance.

Chapters

Rating athlete pre-bed habits 1 to 10.
Let's do it.
Scrolling in bed, 0. The issue with scrolling in bed is you have blue light, which makes it hard for your brain to shut down, and you just keep your brain active, which makes you not be able to fall asleep as easily and get into deeper sleep once you are asleep. Journaling, freaking 10. That's amazing. I think journaling is awesome. I need to do better at that one.
Taking a hot shower, 10.
I love hot showers because it helps with recovery. It increases blood flow, which helps with your muscle recovery. Having a routine that your body can sense like, oh, I'm getting ready for bed, this is going to help me go to sleep better, is really good to have. Dr. Andrew Huberman talks about that a lot, which I like.
Eating a super greasy meal right before bed, zero.
Um, eating before bed is totally okay. I would focus on protein and carbs. Super high fatty meals is going to make it so you have a lot of stomach digestive issues while you're sleeping and make it so you can't sleep as deep and have as good of quality of sleep.
Going to bed hungry.
Zero. Don't do that, um, unless you're like in a deficit, in a calorie deficit, and trying to lose some fat, then that might be okay. But any athlete in season, you need to fuel your body and give it the food that it's asking for.
Stretching. 10. Stretching is amazing.