HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO “GET BACK TO NORMAL”?
Losing sleep to enjoy the Olympics may mean you will be dealing with added daytime fatigue, and it is important to understand it can increase your risk of having an accident or injury during this time.
This is particularly important if you need to perform tasks that require you to focus and react, such as driving – fatigue is responsible for about 20 per cent of road accidents.
So, if you’re going to sacrifice your sleep to catch the Olympic action, it might be useful to consider public transport options if available.
When the Olympics are finished, the time it will take to re-establish your normal sleep and wake schedule will depend on how different the timing of your interrupted sleep was – that is, if you usually fall sleep at 10pm but stayed up until 11pm, it will take less time to adapt than if you were awake until 1am.
A good idea is to focus on consistent sleep timing as soon as possible. A regular sleep and wake schedule will give you the best chance of getting good quality sleep.
In the meantime, just as the athletes are preparing to give their best performance, prepare your strategies to give yourself the best chance at minimising the effects of sleep deprivation.
Shona Halson is an Associate Professor in the School of Behavioural and Health Sciences at Australian Catholic University. Carissa Gardiner is a PhD candidate in Sports Performance, Recovery, Injury, and New Technologies at the same institution. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.
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