Back in my younger days, I didn’t give much thought to sleep as a way to enhance performance. If I could give my younger self one piece of advice now, it would be this: pay more attention to what you do in the hours before bedtime. Your pre-sleep routine directly impacts both the quality and quantity of your sleep—and in turn, your overall performance.
These days, sleep experts talk a lot about "sleep opportunity." Once you’re asleep, your body takes over the process, but you have a huge influence on how much rest you get and how restorative it is. Creating the right environment and routine before bed can make all the difference.
If you're serious about performance, a solid pre-sleep routine isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a game-changer. Quality sleep is when your body repairs muscle, balances hormones, and locks in the skills you’ve trained for. But great sleep doesn’t happen by accident. A wind-down routine—like limiting screen time, practicing relaxation techniques, and sticking to a consistent bedtime—helps lower stress hormones and signals to your body that it’s time to recover. The result? Better sleep, faster recovery, and sharper focus when it counts. Prioritise your pre-sleep routine, and you’ll feel the difference both in training and on game day.
Above was an example of a pre sleep routine. Let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear how yours compares. Feel free to share on my Facebook page.
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I really appreciate you being part of my tribe and I look forward to helping you achieve better health and better performance.
Simon
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Please check out these podcasts and articles
PODCAST: Sleep Smart: Maximising Health & Performance with Dr Luke Gupta
As we all start to consider the ways in which we can improve our performances in 2025, I think it is really useful to consider the role that sleep plays. More and harder training is often the first resort for many athletes seeking improvements in fitness. What if you were to do similar training to the previous season, but explored ways in which you could make that training more productive? Like a rising tide that lifts all boats, more or better quality sleep improves everything. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I don't believe there is any circumstance where more sleep has a negative impact.In today’s show I’m joined by Sport Sleep Specialist Dr. Luke Gupta who practices with the Better Sleep Clinic.
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ARTICLE: Every breath you take
While watching a cycling event on TV recently, I was surprised to see that some of the pro cyclists seemed to have a slight belly. Pro tour cyclists are typically so lean! But then I realized—they were belly breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing), which involves breathing deeply into the abdomen, rather than just the chest. This form of breathing is actually much more effective for everyone and is quite different from the shallow breathing that most adults habitually fall into.
Breathing is an automatic function that happens without conscious effort—it’s a basic part of life and essential to survival. By this point in life, you probably assume you’re a pro at breathing, so it’s easy to take it for granted. But developing a daily breathing practice can unlock a wide range of health benefits and positively impact athletic performance.
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