Are you worried the night before?
Nov 14, 2022 12:06 pm
Good Monday morning,
The night before a big game can big a major time of stress, so I continue the series with a couple more posts to help you sleep better.
Enjoy,
Dr. Eddie
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Worried the Night Before?
Worry is your mind's attempt to protect you from potential harm. A signal that tomorrow matters to you. It's asking, "Are you ready?"
After reviewing how you are prepared, look for where you aren't and ask yourself, "Have I done everything I can for things to go well tomorrow?"
Sleep Your Way to the Top Workshop
If the answer is "no" - then get up and do them! This isn't about making yourself feel better. This is about being ultimately prepared for tomorrow's challenge.
For example, this may include having your equipment packed and ready to go, including backup and replacement equipment in case something breaks. Prioritizing hydration and nutrition and recovery throughout the day can ease you mind and heal your body the day before.
In most cases, when it is time for bed, you'll realize that you've done all you can. If there are things you need to be sure to do in the morning, then get up and create a checklist so you don't forget. This enables your mind to release the pressure of having to think about it now.
Respect the day before as a time to prepare. This will ease the worry at night.
Sleep Your Way to the Top Workshop
And if you are still too nervous or excited to sleep, bring yourself into the moment and say, "If I really want to be my best tomorrow, what can do right now to help?"
Most of the time, then answer will be "go to sleep."
We all know this but then choose to ruminate anyway. I encourage you really believe this answer and act on it. If you want to be your very best tomorrow, getting a good night's sleep will help.
Sleep is the #1 performance enhancer and the positive effects continue beyond the recommended minimum 8 hours. For example, men basketball players at Stanford ran faster in both half-court and full-court sprints and their shooting improved by at least 9% for both free throws and three-point shots when they went from 7.8 hours of sleep to 10.4 (Mah, et al., 2011).
Collegiate swimmers improved 15 m sprint time, had faster reaction times off the blocks, improved turn times, and increased kick strokes when increasing to at least 10 hours in bed (Mah, 2008).
Collegiate varsity tennis players who increased to at least 9 hours of sleep per night improved serve accuracy from 35.7 % to 41.8 % in just one week (Schwartz & Simon, 2015).
Risk of injury is reduced when you get your sleep. Getting 7 or less hours of sleep over 14 or more days is associated with 1.7 times greater risk of musculoskeletal injury (Huang & Ihm, 2021). Adolescents who either chronically sleep less than 8 hours per night, or have frequent night time awakenings, are more likely to experience sports or musculoskeletal injuries (Gao, et al., 2019).
The point? Respond to your worry with a commitment to refocus on relaxation and let yourself sleep.
Learn how to sleep better tonight so you can play better tomorrow with the "Sleep Your Way to the Top" workshop here.
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Dr. Eddie O’Connor
