The Buffalo Bills are back in primetime this week, taking on the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Co., fresh off defeating the Baltimore Ravens 36-10, sit in first place atop the AFC.
While the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season last week, they are the No. 1 team in the NFC. When Allen takes the field at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 9, his wife, Hailee Steinfeld, and their baby girl, Harper, will be cheering Buffalo on.
The 30-year-old quarterback lights up when he talks about their daughter. Before the Bills-Vikings game, Allen opened up about how life at home has changed since becoming a dad and how he stays in peak form during the NFL season.
Josh Allen’s Nighttime Routine With His Wife, Hailee Steinfeld, Has Changed Since Welcoming Baby Harper
“There’s definitely been less TV now,” Allen told The Healthy for their How I Healthspan series published on November 5. “When we put [our daughter] down, we give ourselves 35 to 40 minutes to maybe watch something, or decompress and talk—which you have to do. But definitely less screen time before bed, which I think is extremely beneficial.
“And I got blue-light glasses that I probably don’t wear enough. But I definitely think light exposure has been a huge factor in keeping me up sometimes, so making sure I’m limiting that.”
If he is short on sleep, the 30-year-old pretends he’s well-rested — mind over matter. “Honestly, it’s trying to sometimes trick your mind and be like, ‘Hey, I’ve only got a couple more hours, let me get through this and find a way to get a good night’s sleep tonight.'”
As an elite athlete, nutrition and hydration also play a key role in his life. However, he does have a sweet tooth.
“Oh, I’m a huge sweets guy,” Allen admits. “Chocolate chip cookies are just the death of me.” While he’s been trying to have fruit for dessert instead, “like, last night I had a couple cherries and a nice juicy peach, and it was fantastic” — sometimes the cookies win out.
“The problem is that I have to stop buying them. If they are in the house, I will find them.”
As for his wellness routine, “I think the sauna, to me, is by far and away the best thing from that point of view. My Theragun from Therabody is something I use a lot.”
Josh Allen Says Coming Home to His Wife & Baby Made Him a Better Quarterback
While he may be sleep deprived some nights, Allen wouldn’t change a thing about fatherhood. During an appearance on “Fitz & Whit” with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth in September, Allen described how becoming a dad helped him as a quarterback.
“Sometimes I do get into a space of negative self-talk,” Allen admits. “But as you guys know with your kids, when you go home, they don’t know anything about that. They don’t care about that. They’re just happy to see you.”
“That smile that hits their face when you walk into that door, there is nothing like it. And maybe it allows me to compartmentalize better of when I’m at work, it is all about work. When I step home, I can leave it at the door and be with my family and be a dad and be the best husband that I can be.”
“So, I don’t know. I think it just kind of sets a freshness, a newness, and it just kind of aligns with what else is going on in my professional career.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Shares Personal News Before Vikings Game