Fighting sleep before meets?

[dreamergymnast]

How do I stop fighting sleep before meets? I usually can't fall asleep, or I can't fall asleep and fight sleeping when I get tired. That results in me falling asleep around 3:00 am, which drastically reduces my performance in meets. Any tips on how to get better sleep before meets?

 

[dreamergymnast]

And I have to get up around 5:00-6:00 am, so I basically get 2-3 hours of sleep. And I never have the appetite to eat, either.

 

[Gymnastisism]

I used to stay up late 2 nights before (say if the meet was on friday I would stay up late Wednesday so by the time thursday night came around I'd be exhausted). Not exactly a good plan, but it worked for me. Also try to not think about the meet as much, watch a movie before you go to bed, have everything for the meet ready the night before so you're not anxious about anything.

 

[dreamergymnast]

Okay thx And I usually get almost all my stuff ready, then get the rest the day of the meet. And I will probably watch a movie. I get tired after movies.

 

[RisingGymnast]

Wow that's crazy 3:00 AM! Maybe you could read a book, take an Epsom salt bath, or drink some tea. Anything that helps relax.
It depends on what works for you but you can either not think about the meet at all (distract yourself), or you could visualize your routines. Personally, I visualize a little and then stop so I don't over think it. It worked out well this season.

Good luck!!

 

[dreamergymnast]

Thanks I know, 3:00 am is crazy!! I try not to but sometimes I can't fall asleep until then.

 

[BlairBob]

Try watching a movie, reading a book, or listening to music. Of course it helps if it's a slow movie or relaxing music.

OTOH, that sometimes means you might crash out on the couch and then end up waking later to move toward your bed and this can sometimes mean you don't fall asleep after this happens.

Or try eating something with fat and carbs and/or protein. This ends up sending a lot of your bloodflow to your stomach besides kicking in your body's systems to relax. This is partially why some people crash out after eating as their body puts them into Relax mode.

http://180degreehealth.com/sleepy-eat/

You can also try meditation, deep breathing, taking warm baths, getting a massage, and hitting the sauna/spa. They might help.

 

[LucyTRA]

Avoid anything with caffeine, that includes tea, coffee, chocolate, coke and fizzy drinks. Drinking a 'warm milky drink' before you go to bed increases melatonin levels (this is the chemical in your body that makes you fall asleep).

Avoid 'blue screen' things, that would be your phone, iPad, laptop, etc, as these can make it much more difficult to sleep through the night and you may end up waking up after a short time and then struggling to go back to sleep as @BlairBob said.

Do things to relax you through the evening, eat a decent meal, take a bath, drink whatever milky thing you're going to have (if it's hot chocolate, make sure it doesn't contain caffeine...) listen to relaxing music, read a book. When you go to bed (try to be in bed at least half an hour before you actually want to be asleep) just relax, try not to think about the meet. When I can't sleep I consciously tense all of my muscles and then relax them from my feet all the way up to my head. I find that really helpful (but maybe that's just me being a bit weird...!)

Good luck!

 

[stxrdusty]

Read. I don't like to because I don't want to be focused on what I was reading instead of the meet, but it does help get me to sleep. Mild hypnosis that you can put yourself under, its pretty much like meditation. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Focus on having the tension leave your body. Feel the tension move from your center out your fingers and toes. Pretty soon you won't wamt to open your eyes anymore and that's the ticket to falling asleep. I can just lay down and close my eyes and they don't want to open anymore, but this hypnosis thing worked during a hypnotist show I watched.
Also, 3 isn't that late. Like it is, but I went to sleep then like twice a week and 2 the other three days of the week during my last 2 years of high school.
Hopefully university will be different, but probably not as its 2:40am right now and I'm up. Granted its summer, but still.

 

[Paint A Melody]

I didn't have that big of a problem with meets. I would randomly fall asleep after a while. When u was younger and exited for Christmas, I would have warm milk and honey, and then take a warm bath and it worked. It works even better if the pillows and blankets are warm.