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Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills is making some changes to his diet and sleep patterns to try and improve his performance in 2025.
Josh Allen had an MVP season in 2024, and he is focused on getting even better in 2025.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback has refined his diet to cut out dairy, and especially butter, ahead of the upcoming season.
Allen has also focused on his sleep habits as well, aiming to sleep more than eight hours every night. Allen, who turned 29 in May, had 3,731 passing yards and a 28-6 touchdown-to-interception rate, plus 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, helping the Bills win the AFC East for the fifth year in a row.
Why Did Josh Allen Change His Diet?
Initially, Allen said his change in diet was to “look good” for his wedding, to actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld. But he also wants to ensure his body is in good shape, especially for the short-turnarounds of the NFL regular season.
“I was making sure that I was staying fit and slim so I could fit in the clothes,” Allen told GQ recently. “Working out, getting the right sleep, and a good diet—it’s been keeping me on a really good track.”
Allen has not been obsessing about his calorie intake during the summer and said he isn’t intermittent fasting. But he is obviously focused on what he is eating with training camp opening in less than a week.
“Sometimes I don’t eat breakfast, and I don’t follow the intermittent fasting diet,” Allen said. “When I wake up, I’m not extremely hungry. A lot of protein, whether it’s steak or chicken.
“I’ve really just dove into fish. Sushi is like my favorite food right now, so it’s helped me with diversifying my proteins and what carbs I’m taking in, but I’m not sitting here counting calories.”
Allen, who said he couldn’t keep weight on as a kid, now plays at about 240 pounds while eating “clean.”
“Where I’m at now, just making sure that I’m eating clean and maintaining and doing everything that I can do to perform the best on the field,” Allen said.
What Is Josh Allen’s Sleep Routine?
Allen is a spokesperson for sleep aid Natrol, which he credits with helping him maintain a solid sleep routine that he has been unable to attain organically.
“I travel a lot on planes and it’s hard to sleep on planes,” Allen said. “I actually took Natrol Sleep and Restore melatonin from Europe, and I slept nine hours straight on a plane, so immediately I was like, ‘This product is what I need in my life.’
“When you break it down: All the working out, all the dieting—that’s all great stuff, but if you’re not getting the right sleep and not waking up restored and energized, all that’s thrown to the curb.”
Aside from Natrol, Allen has also followed some environmental shifts to help his sleep.
“I’ve taken some of the things that I’ve been told from a few sleep doctors: Making sure the room is cold, making sure it’s quiet,” he said. “Sometimes I throw on a little bit of green noise.”
Allen said he is sleeping between 8.5-9.5 hours every night, depending on how much he puts into the previous day. He credits Natrol with soothing his restless mind so he can rest.
“I have a hard time sleeping,” Allen said. “My mind’s racing constantly, and before I started using this product, I’d be lying down at 11, 11:30, 12:30, and by the time I’ve fallen asleep, I’m just not getting enough of the sleep I need. So it’s really helping me get to bed earlier, and then waking up rested and restored.”
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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