How NBA Star P.J. Washington Uses Sleep as His Secret Weapon

Eighty-two games. Constant cross-country travel. Late-night tip-offs followed by early morning practices. The NBA season doesn't give you many easy nights; and the players who last are the ones who've figured out how to recover from all of it.

More and more of them are treating sleep like training. Not just as rest, but as a performance input with measurable outcomes. When you're pushing your body to its limits day in and day out, what happens between games determines what happens during them.

For P.J. Washington, power forward for the Dallas Mavericks, sleep is exactly that: a competitive edge. And his BEDGEAR Performance® Sleep System is the gear he relies on to make it count.

"As a professional athlete, having a personalized sleep system is crucial to my performance and recovery, and BEDGEAR keeps me at my best. Their Performance® bedding helps me stay cool and sleep deep, so I always wake up feeling recharged and ready to put in the work." P.J. Washington | Dallas Mavericks Power Forward

P.J. treats sleep with the same intensity he brings to the weight room and game day prep. His BEDGEAR setup is designed to support full recovery every night: managing temperature, minimizing disruption, and dialing in the conditions that let his body do its job while he's out.

"P.J. embodies the mindset of a modern athlete. He understands that what you do off the court is just as important as what you do on it. Sleep is the most essential element of recovery; not just for professional athletes, but for all who are looking to take their game to the next level." Eugene Alletto | BEDGEAR Founder/CEO

Don't Sleep on Sleep

The science here isn't subtle. As renowned neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Walker has put it, sleep is one of the most powerful recovery tools available to any athlete. And yet it's one of the most underused.

"Sleep is the greatest legal performance enhancing drug that few athletes are abusing enough." Dr. Matthew Walker | Neuroscientist and Author, Why We Sleep

Superstars like Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, and LeBron James reportedly log around 12 hours of sleep per day; often 10 at night, plus a two-hour nap. That's not laziness. That's a deliberate recovery strategy, and the performance data reflects it.

A Stanford University study found that when collegiate basketball players extended their nightly sleep to around 10 hours, they saw measurable gains: faster sprint times and a 9% boost in shooting accuracy. On the flip side, sleep deprivation has been shown to increase injury risk and slow reaction time. Neither of those is something a pro can afford.

This isn't news to the NBA. Many teams now treat sleep as a core component of their recovery programs. For eight seasons, BEDGEAR has served as the Official Sleep Partner of the Dallas Mavericks; outfitting players with personalized Performance® bedding built for the physical and mental demands of a full season.

Recover Tonight, Rebound Tomorrow

Sleep isn't passive. While you're out, your body is doing serious work: repairing muscle tissue, replenishing energy stores, and regulating the hormones that affect everything from reaction time to mood. Deep sleep is when growth hormone peaks, which is when recovery happens at the cellular level. Skip that, and even the most finely tuned body starts breaking down.

Research on over 25,000 NBA games found that teams tend to perform better when their body clocks are ahead of local time; like when an Eastern team plays a late game on the West Coast. West Coast home teams won nearly 10% more often in those matchups. The underlying reason is circadian rhythm: the body's internal clock affects alertness, reaction time, and energy output in ways that show up on the scoreboard.

Travel and time zones aren't always in your control. Your recovery is. That's the argument for building a sleep setup that actually works; one that makes the most of every hour you get, not just the total number of them.

Keeping Cool: The Science of Sleep Temperature

Your core body temperature needs to drop slightly for your brain to reach the deepest, most restorative stages of sleep. After hours of activity, inflammation, or just the everyday demands of a busy week, that cooling process can be slow. When you overheat at night, it isn't just uncomfortable; it interrupts your REM cycles and cuts into the deep sleep where real recovery happens.

For athletes especially, the sleep microclimate matters. A surface that traps heat is a surface that's working against your recovery every single night. The right bedding pulls heat and moisture away from the body so it can get on with the job.

A Few Simple Ways to Sleep Smarter Tonight

You don't need a whole program overhaul. Small, consistent changes to your environment and habits can have a noticeable impact on sleep quality. Here are four worth starting with:

Sleep Like P.J.: His Full Performance® Setup

P.J.'s sleep system isn't random. Every piece is chosen to address temperature, support, and recovery; the same variables BEDGEAR engineers into every product it makes. Here's what he runs with.

"For anyone serious about rest and results, BEDGEAR is a game changer." P.J. Washington | Dallas Mavericks Power Forward

M3 Performance® Mattress

The M3 is where P.J.'s recovery starts. It's BEDGEAR's modular mattress; a first-of-its-kind design that lets each side of the bed be independently configured for firmness. He and his wife each get the support and feel that actually works for their body, without compromise.

For a professional athlete, the construction details matter just as much as the concept. The cool-to-the-touch Ver-Tex cover drops surface temperature on contact. The breathable support layers keep airflow moving through the night. Pressure relief and spinal alignment are built in, not bolted on. Those aren't selling points; they're recovery variables.

Night Ice Performance® Pillow

Cooling sleep has to run head to toe; literally. P.J.'s Night Ice Performance® Pillow delivers three distinct layers of cooling technology working together: an instant-cooling Ver-Tex cover, a React Cooling Crown, and an ICE Active Core underneath. Breathable mesh and air vents keep air circulating through the night.

The result is a pillow that stays cool, supports proper spinal alignment, and adapts to his position as he moves. If you've ever woken up flipping your pillow to the cool side at 3am, this is the fix for that.

Ver-Tex® Performance Sheets

Inspired by the same performance materials worn on the court, P.J.'s Ver-Tex Performance Sheets are built to pull heat and moisture away from the body on contact. His nights start cool and stay that way; which is the point. A breathable, silky-smooth construction keeps his body comfortable so it can focus on the overnight work of recovery.

Performance® Comforter

P.J. finishes his setup with our Performance® Comforter, filled with Climacore® Intelligent Insulation. It keeps warmth and airflow balanced through the night; enough comfort to sleep well, enough breathability to stay cool. Available in Light, Medium, and Ultra weights so you can match it to your sleep climate.

Your Pillow Is More Important Than You Think

Your pillow plays a direct role in spinal alignment. If it's too tall or too flat for your sleep position and body type, it strains your neck, shoulders, and back; and you feel that the next morning. BEDGEAR Performance® Pillows come in a range of sizes so your head and spine stay in neutral alignment regardless of how you sleep. Broader shoulders typically need a taller pillow. A smaller frame usually works better with a lower profile.

Your sleep position matters just as much as your build. Here's a quick breakdown:

Not sure what size you need? Take the PillowID® Quiz to find your fit.

P.J. Washington Sleeps Like His Day Depends on It. Yours Should Too.

You don't have to play 82 games a year to take your sleep seriously. Whether you're training for something specific or just trying to feel better throughout the week, the quality of your sleep affects how everything else goes. Your mood, your output, your recovery from whatever physical or mental demands the day put on you.

That's the whole idea behind BEDGEAR. The same breathable, moisture-wicking, cooling construction that P.J. relies on to compete at the highest level is available for anyone who wants to wake up actually ready for the day. A complete Performance® Sleep System, built from base to covers, fit to you.

Performance Sleep Isn't Just for Pros

P.J. Washington's approach to sleep is the same approach any serious performer should take: treat it as a non-negotiable part of the plan. The research is clear. The returns are real. And the gear exists to make it easier. A personalized BEDGEAR Performance® Sleep System gives you the same tools that work for elite athletes every night; cooling technology, proper support, and a setup that's built for your body, not a generic average.

Build your own sleep system and start waking up ready.