The excitement of the World Cup brings fans together across time zones, but the tournament’s kickoff schedule often clashes with work hours and school days, leaving many people struggling to get enough rest.
Three science‑backed sleep strategies
The full American plan asks participants to shift their daily routine to align with North American time zones for the duration of the competition, effectively turning evenings into mornings and vice versa.
The sandwich approach splits the night into two sleep blocks: one before the match and a shorter rest afterward, allowing a brief recovery period while still catching the live action.
The squeeze method keeps fans awake through the entire game and then squeezes in a couple of hours of sleep before having to rise for work or class, a tactic that trades short‑term alertness for a compressed rest window.
Research shows that insufficient sleep can trigger mood swings, irritability and reduced empathy, while alcohol amplifies these effects and further degrades cognitive performance.
Caffeine can boost alertness, but consuming it too late in the day may interfere with the ability to fall asleep, making timing a critical consideration for fans planning their match‑day routines.
Strategic napping — whether a quick power nap before a game or a brief rest after watching — has been shown to refresh mental clarity and improve decision‑making.
Tips for families and young fans
Children tend to fall asleep earlier, while teenagers often stay up later to watch matches; parents can help by setting consistent bedtime windows and limiting late‑night screen exposure.
Experts such as Prof Russell Foster from the University of Oxford and Dr Victoria Revell of the University of Surrey stress the importance of planning sleep around match schedules to protect overall wellbeing.