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Josh Allen<\/a> already has MVP status on the football field, earning the NFL’s Most Valuable Player honor for the 2024 season. Now, as he enters his ninth year as quarterback of the Buffalo Bills\u2014and his first season as a new dad\u2014he’s focused on mastering something else: sleep.<\/p>\n Between late-night diaper duty and preparing for another jam-packed NFL season, quality rest has become more of a priority than ever before. That’s one reason Allen has partnered with Natrol, a natural sleep aid<\/a> brand, and incorporates its Ultra Sleep and Ultra Energy products into his wellness routine to help support both recovery and daytime energy. <\/p>\n Allen sat down with Prevention to share how sleep is key to his performance and recovery, the sleep tips<\/a> and tricks that help him drift off to dreamland, and the wellness habits that help him show up feeling his best\u2014on the field and at home.<\/p>\n What does bedtime look like for Josh Allen? Give us a peek at your wind-down routine.<\/p>\n In the past, being in bed before 11:30 p.m. was a win for me. But since becoming a father, I get into bed around 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. My wife and I are trying to limit screens because of the whole blue light thing and how it can impact your ability to fall asleep. It\u2019s hard sometimes, especially when there are things to do or convos to have that you didn\u2019t get to during a busy day, but we\u2019re trying to be more strict with it\u2014like, hey, when we\u2019re in bed, this is what we\u2019re doing, we\u2019re sleeping. There are also those circadian rhythm lights that I see on \u201cthe feeds\u201d that start to wind down for you\u2014I really want to look into that and try to use them moving forward.<\/p>\n You just celebrated your very first Father\u2019s Day\u2014how has becoming a new dad impacted your sleep?<\/p>\n It\u2019s given me a whole new perspective on sleep and the reality of sleep. There have been multiple nights in the past few months where I\u2019ll have some 3 a.m. or 5 a.m. wake-up calls with the baby, and the next day I\u2019ll definitely find myself being a little more irritable. But I just say to myself, \u201call right, let\u2019s chill out, you\u2019re good, just get a better night\u2019s sleep tonight,\u201d and I move on\u2014and implementing Ultra Sleep<\/a> and Ultra Energy<\/a> into my regimen helps me do that. I don\u2019t think that sleep is a luxury; it\u2019s the foundation of everything, especially my own performance on and off the field. So going into this year, there\u2019s that commitment to making sure I can maintain quality sleep.<\/p>\n How do sleep aids fit into your regimen, and how do they help you feel your best morning to night?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t take them every night; I take them when I know I have the opportunity to get extra sleep and when I know I need the extra help\u2014like now, when I\u2019ve had a long few days. Ultra Sleep has 5 mg of melatonin to help get you fall asleep a little better, plus GABA and other natural ingredients (like tart cherry, lemon balm, and chamomile) that help with the quality of sleep. I do, personally, feel a difference when I take it. I do feel like I fall asleep quicker and stay asleep throughout the night better (this is so important because your body rebuilds and recovers while you snooze). And then, if you feel your best during the day, it\u2019s going to roll into the night, it\u2019s just a snowball effect.<\/p>\n What were some of your go-to sleep tricks growing up\/in college?<\/p>\n When I couldn\u2019t sleep, I used to try to think of nothing and then count to 100\u2014I feel like I never made it to 100. And in college, we had a sleep doctor come talk to our team, and they told us something that stuck with me: they said keep it cool, quiet, and calm at bedtime. So when I\u2019m in the hotel rooms for games, I turn that sucker [thermostat] all the way down.<\/p>\n Besides collecting ZZZs, what other wellness habits help you feel your healthiest?<\/p>\n Working out and making sure I\u2019m lifting weights\u2014I think those are some of the best things you can do for your health. I love saunas, and there\u2019s lots of great science-backed stats<\/a> on the health benefits of saunas<\/a>. I also do red light therapy, physical therapy, and massages after games\u2014those are the main things for making sure my body is in the right spot to perform. But sleep is really the most important piece of it all that a lot of people neglect.<\/p>\n Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.<\/p>\n