U.S. Paralympian Brenna Huckaby on How Sleep Helps Her Succeed in Para Snowboarding

U.S. Paralympian Brenna Huckaby has found major success in Para snowboarding. The professional athlete was introduced to the sport after losing her right leg to cancer at age 14. 

She won two gold medals at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and went on to win a gold and bronze medal at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. In addition to that, she’s a five-time World Champion in Para snowboarding. 

Huckaby is also a mom to two daughters and an advocate for disability inclusion. In fact, she’s the co-founder of Culxtured, a media collective aiming to revolutionize the way the world views Para sport. 

Huckaby credits sleep as playing an important role in her life as an athlete. “Sleep is crucial to my athletic performance because if I’m not sleeping well, I’m not performing well,” she says. “I know that for me, every little bit of sleep counts.” 

We chatted with Huckaby, a Saatva ambassador, to learn more about her dreamy bedroom setup, her favorite ways to unwind before bed, and more.  

Brenna Huckaby’s top sleep tips

1. Create the ideal bedroom setup

“The most important thing for my sleep setup is an incredibly dark room,” says Huckaby. “And if I don’t have that, I have to have an eye mask to make it dark. But that trumps everything else. I need a dark room.”  

As for what Huckaby sleeps on, she says she prefers a firm mattress and a firm pillow. Because she’s a combination sleeper (meaning she moves from back to side to stomach during the night), she likes to have a firm sleep surface to support her in all of these positions. 

2. Prioritize a solid nighttime and recovery routine

“My nighttime routine is super sacred to me,” shares Huckaby, “because that’s the one time I feel like I get to actually just relax after such a long day.” She says her nighttime routine contains a lot of skincare and breathing meditation—and watching TV once she’s settled into bed. 

Recovery throughout the day is key too. “Recovery for me in my routine as an athlete comes in bite-sized pieces throughout the day,” says Huckaby. “It isn’t always one big routine.” Recovery may look like stretching, eating a healthy meal, drinking water, or taking a hot shower. “All of these things equal recovery,” she says. 

“My nighttime routine is super sacred to me because that’s the one time I feel like I get to actually just relax after such a long day.” – Brenna Huckaby

3. Establish healthy sleep habits with the family

“Talking to my kids about how to take care of themselves with sleep and balance and rest and all the things is hard because they want to just go-go-go-go-go,” notes Huckaby. “I always use the activities they want to do as the carrot and rest is how they get to where they want to go.” For example, if her kids want to go to the pool, she tells them they’ll have a much better time if they rest before they go. 

When it comes to traveling with her family, Huckaby and her husband get their own bed, while their kids sleep in a separate bed. This allows her to get a good night’s sleep as they all toss and turn throughout the night. “I don’t know how people do it with all the kids in the bed,” she says. “I love that for them, but it is not my journey.”

4. Track your daily habits

“I have been really working on my own wellness routine and understanding my body and what it needs and how to perform at my best,” she says. “What I’ve noticed throughout the years is sleep has been a non-negotiable for my training, my recovery, all the things.” 

Something that’s helped her figure this out is tracking her habits and paying attention to how they affect her. “That’s something that has been a big win in my sleep journey,” says Huckaby. 

For example, she’s realized waking up early in the morning is essential to how she wants to get started with her day—and this is only possible when she’s taking care of her sleep habits. 

For more on Brenna’s sleep journey with Saatva in the leadup to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, follow her on Instagram and TikTok. Then, learn about how Saatva is supporting Team USA’s sleep and restoration.