Sleep routines: GB rowers give us the inside scoop
British Rowing Official Sleep Partner eve sleep talks to GB rowers Melissa Wilson and Holly Hill about weird dreams, sleep tips and Netflix shows
By Annabelle Teale
Last year we partnered with British Rowing to be their official sleep partner, designing a聽nifty sleep sanctuary聽at the national training ground for the athletes to get top-notch rest at their 鈥榟ome away from home鈥. Because if there鈥檚 a bunch of people who love mornings just as much as we do, it鈥檚 the GB Rowing Team. From early starts to rigorous training sessions, they have no problem grabbing each day by the coffee beans.
Fast forward to March 2020 and training for the athletes has taken an interesting turn. With our new 鈥榥ormal鈥 lives comes a聽new routine. So how is this affecting GB鈥檚 top rowers? We spoke to Holly Hill, who won a World Cup bronze medal in 2019, and Melissa Wilson, a two-time World under-23 medallist, to find out.
What did your pre-lockdown routine look like?
惭别濒颈蝉蝉补:听Normally, Holly and mine鈥檚 days and weeks would have a very set routine. Waking around 6.20am, we鈥檇 arrive at the training centre for 7.30am, stretching for 10-15 minutes before getting on the water for a long steady paddle. Most days we鈥檇 have two more sessions, interspersed by 90-minute breaks when we鈥檇 catch up on admin, read a book, see our physio or have a nap in the eve bunk-room before finishing most days around 4pm.
We鈥檝e made a Rocky-style weights circuit out of scrap salvaged from Holly鈥檚 neighbour!
Now, you鈥檙e sharing a loft at Holly鈥檚 family home. What does your new routine look like?
Melissa: Our routine in isolation has been quite a bit less regimented than normal, which we are both really enjoying. We still wake up around 6.30am (the loft we鈥檙e sleeping in doesn鈥檛 have any blinds!), then between 7-7.30am we鈥檒l go downstairs and make bagels and coffee before getting our kit on for a ride on the rowing machine, roughly the same length as a session we鈥檇 have at the training centre. If we鈥檝e got three sessions to do, we鈥檒l try to start the second one by 11.30am and do our second our third session after lunch 鈥 we鈥檝e made a Rocky-style weights circuit out of scrap salvaged from Holly鈥檚 neighbour!
We鈥檙e sure you鈥檙e sleeping better than ever now we鈥檝e sent you two eve mattresses to get top-notch rest on. But what challenges are you facing with this new routine?
Melissa: At first, we struggled to make much beyond veggie-burgers in the kitchenette we鈥檝e got, especially given that we don鈥檛 want to go to the supermarket any more than necessary! But we鈥檙e trying to get into more of a routine and I鈥檓 looking forward to spending more time cooking as we get more settled here.
Holly:聽The main struggle is that no one is making the rules for me anymore! As a bit of a night owl, I鈥檓 having to work quite hard to turn the light out by 10pm and get up to start the first session before 8:30am. The second challenge is fitting in three training sessions if I haven鈥檛 got up on time鈥 It takes a huge amount of willpower to get the third session started at 5pm when all I want to do is sit down with a cup of tea.
How has the change in routine affected you mentally and how are you dealing with that?
Melissa:聽My biggest challenge was when the Olympics got postponed. It felt like I had poured so much into training for it this summer, and in the immediate aftermath, I couldn鈥檛 see how I could maintain or recreate enough momentum for an additional 12 months. But in many ways, having the freedom of training with just Holly has been a huge help, helping me reconnect with training just for the enjoyment of it.
Holly:聽Clearly all the right decisions have been taken but it鈥檚 been tough to handle the roller coaster of emotions around being selected for the Olympics and then have it taken away until I try again next year. But over the years I have often used exercise to help me think, so actually it鈥檚 been quite helpful attempting to stick to the normal schedule of training in order to help me process the loss of the Olympics.
If I don鈥檛 sleep properly throughout the week, recovery from training is harder
What gets you going in the morning? Do you have any tips you can share?
贬辞濒濒测:听I鈥檓 lucky because sport has played a massive role in my life since I was very young. So in that sense, much of my motivation comes simply from the joy of being active. I鈥檇 say always make sure you have a goal. It doesn鈥檛 have to be a world record but something that you can aim for that has meaning to you; it could be building up to a running distance that is significant to you, chasing a time on the indoor rowing machine.
Melissa:聽One of the best pieces of advice I received this year was to work out your 鈥渨hy?鈥 and keep it in mind. By identifying your 鈥渨hy?鈥 you have something powerful to return to when you鈥檙e struggling with motivation.
How important is a good night鈥檚 sleep for your productivity?
Melissa:聽It makes a massive difference 鈥 now that it鈥檚 part of my routine, I hate it when I鈥檝e not prioritised sleep and have to get through days feeling groggy and half-awake. I used to feel like I was 鈥榤issing out鈥 on a part of my day if I tried to go to bed before 10pm or 11pm, but now I see it as a worthwhile investment to get the most out of the next day.
Holly: Totally essential. Even when I get to bed late, being able to put an eye mask on and get comfy on my nice eve mattress makes an enormous difference to my happiness the following day. If I don鈥檛 sleep properly throughout the week, recovery from training is harder and by Saturday I will be totally exhausted and unable to perform in the important pieces.
I fell asleep and started to dream I was in the middle of a Quidditch match
Our recent聽unwind with eve聽series looks at how to wind down during life at home. How do you unwind?
Melissa:聽By reading, going for a walk, chatting on the phone or playing a version of 鈥楶ictionary鈥 on the app Houseparty with friends or family.
Holly:聽I often unwind straight after training with some quiet time lying on the sofa watching comedy TV shows, and when I鈥檝e got some energy back I like to play my guitar and write songs about funny things that have happened.
Now, for a quickfire round. We鈥檇 love to know鈥
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Melissa:聽I am more of a morning person, though by the middle of a holiday I can really enjoy lying-in.
Holly:聽I am 100%, unquestionably, without doubt, a night owl. Although I did see a thing describing a third option鈥 鈥榮ome sort of permanently exhausted pigeon鈥 which I think I could also fairly strongly identify with! I find the rowing lifestyle helps me to keep to a consistent sleep rhythm; not too late to bed and up pretty early.
I鈥檓 really, really trying to ration Nutella-consumption whilst in lockdown!
The weirdest dream you had recently?
Melissa: I have a terrible memory for my dreams, but I sleep talk a bit鈥 Holly now takes the opportunity to have 鈥榗onversations鈥 with me whilst I鈥檓 asleep. I鈥檝e been known to shout random words like 鈥淎ubergine!鈥, to start conversations with the characters of TV shows we鈥檙e watching, or start cheering on members of the GB Rowing Team with a gentle 鈥淲oooohoooo, gooo Becca鈥.鈥!.
Holly:聽It wasn鈥檛 that recent, but the most embarrassing dream I ever had was on a bus with lots of friends. I fell asleep and started to dream I was in the middle of a Quidditch match鈥 I only woke up when I stretched my arm right out in real life trying to catch the snitch!
eve sleep discount!
British Rowing members can benefit from an exclusive deal at - with an extra 10% off the website prices, whether they are already reduced or not. Log into the British Rowing membership portal to access your discount code.
Your go-to snack?
惭别濒颈蝉蝉补:听Holly knows all too well that I have a massive weakness for anything chocolate-y. I鈥檓 really, really trying to ration Nutella-consumption whilst in lockdown!
Holly:聽I鈥檝e a real habit of coming straight in from a session and having a mug of tea with a peanut butter and jam bagel. I often have one to warm my stomach up when prepping dinner..!
Your Netflix show of choice?
Melissa:聽Outlander (I grew up in Scotland and this provides perfect escapism back to some of my favourite places!), or Borgen.
贬辞濒濒测:听Embarrassingly, I recently discovered Gossip Girl on Netflix which has been keeping me busy! But I鈥檓 also a huge fan of movies that are based on true stories, so I鈥檒l watch them whenever they appear!
If life at home has made your routine out of whack, use our trusty to help you structure your day and get optimal sleep. Because of all the things to worry about, sleep needn鈥檛 be one of them. And for other sleep, relaxation and wind-down tips for life at home, explore the content in our series. Don’t forget to take our !
As part of the partnership, British Rowing members can also benefit from the best in sleep wellness with an exclusive deal at eve sleep providing an extra 10% off the prices on the eve sleep website whether they are already reduced or not. Log into the British Rowing membership portal to access your discount code.
