Do you ever imagine how your favorite musicians choose to wind down at the end of their day? Yeah? I honestly didn’t expect you to answer “yes,” but it turns out you’re in luck because we have the rundown of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea’s bedtime routine, and, honestly, it’s much tamer than I thought it would be.
During an April 2026 appearance on Questlove’s podcast, the Questlove Show, Flea was asked, “What does the last hour of your day look like when you know you’re gonna go to bed?” The bassist noted that when he’s “winding down,” he has a “pretty strict” routine he sticks to.
“First is…whatever music I’m going to listen to before bed,” Flea shared. He went on to say that “lately” his nighttime album had been Miles Davis’ “He Loved Him Madly“, a 30-minute tribute to late jazz legend Duke Ellington. Flea explained that it’s “always something like that” he listens to. “It was Ravel before that.”
“I pick the music, brush teeth, wash face,” Flea added, going through the routine in his head. He then joked that he also applies “a little cream” as he gets older, “trying to keep things supple.”
Next, Flea noted that he always says “prayers” before bed. “I’m a praying man, so I pray every morning and every night,” he asserted. “Then I read. I always read before bed….Since I [was] a little boy, I love to read, so I read every day.” He added, “That’s pretty much it. But it’s all of those things are the musts.”
Next up, Flea’s morning routine
With the nighttime routine out of the way, Questlive then inquired about Flea’s “morning routine.” The iconic rock musician pointed out that there’s one thing he does regarless if whether or not he has to get up at a specific time. “No matter what the things are, I do exercises in bed before I get out of bed every morning,” he said. “Basically stretches and stuff.”
Flea explained that his “back has gotten damaged before,” and so he has to be careful about that part of his body. “I have like things to do because it can settle in a weird way when you’re sleeping,” he said, joking that this is the time of day he feels all 63 of his years on Earth.
Finally, after his “stretching routine,” Flea noted that it’s time for “ablutions and then prayers, and then exercise.” Rock stars, they’re just like us.
The post Flea’s ‘Very Strict’ Bedtime Routine Is… Honestly, a Lot Tamer Than I Thought It’d Be appeared first on VICE.
