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Sleep?


JThompson

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I don't sleep well most of the time.... it's even harder for me in a motel and when there is something on my mind. How do you sleep before a match? Are there some techniques you use to help drop off in a strange place?

I would say I sleep about 4hrs before a match when I'm on the road. It's hard to be at your best with only 4hrs.

Thoughts?

JT

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I do not go to sleep two nights before a big match. that way I am dead tired the night right before the match.

I will also bring my pillow from home if staying at a match hotel.

back in my "college days" I used to sleep with ear plugs in....in the dorms.

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Im the same way.

I use my ipod touch to help me relax and go to sleep. There are a few apps from Andrew Johnson I use to help me fall asleep. I like his apps on Stress relief, Deep sleep and relaxation. They really help me loosen up my body and clear my mind. I'll also just listen to soft music to ease my mind. It has really helped me prepare and relax.

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JT- I'm glad I'm not alone but sad we have this problem. I'm a fairly light sleeper anyway so when I'm in a hotel it doesn't get any better! Recently at A7 I was at a cheap hotel and had to switch rooms because the original one was nasty ( I won't go into it here). Needless to say I was tired the next day. I got thru the match mostly fine but later in the night it was tough. Dirty hotels and crappy AC/Heat systems suck.

Local matches aren't usually an issue and I can sleep ok in my house the night before.

I wish I had a good answer for the away games- other than pay good money for a nice clean hotel and even that isn't a guarantee.

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Three years ago, I went to my first large match

shooting OPEN - and I never fell asleep the night

before. Not for a second - I was so wound up.

Never made a difference - I felt fine the next

day - shot as poorly as usual:(( But, no worse:))

As I gained more experience with the gun, and

large matches, the sleeplessness (that a word?)

goes away.

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It looks like a lot of us are affected to some degree. I slept well the night before our last match and I swear I was more tired than with my usual 4-5hrs. lol I shot about the same as well. I had a fair match, but no great shakes. Actually, for how often I shoot now, it wasn't bad at all. My shooting is suffering from lack of practice, but my stage break down are getting better. I got to shoot with a pretty solid Master yesterday and the stage I was having issues on he had a good plan and I modded it a bit and shot it pretty well. I have to learn to complete the last shot before moving on though. I still threw a couple mikes on easy targets and I KNOW it was from pulling my eyes/gun from the target before I completed the shot.

~Tangent off~

IYou guys gave me some good ideas and I got a couple of PM and an email of things to try, so I shall see how it goes. ;)

Thanks

JT

Edited by JThompson
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I don't sleep well most of the time.... it's even harder for me in a motel and when there is something on my mind. How do you sleep before a match? Are there some techniques you use to help drop off in a strange place?

I would say I sleep about 4hrs before a match when I'm on the road. It's hard to be at your best with only 4hrs.

Thoughts?

JT

Have a few stiff drinks, but not so many that you have too much of a hangover.

:)

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I don't sleep well most of the time.... it's even harder for me in a motel and when there is something on my mind. How do you sleep before a match? Are there some techniques you use to help drop off in a strange place?

I would say I sleep about 4hrs before a match when I'm on the road. It's hard to be at your best with only 4hrs.

Thoughts?

JT

Have a few stiff drinks, but not so many that you have too much of a hangover.

:)

Tried that for Il Section match.... missed the mark badly! lol

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I don't sleep well most of the time.... it's even harder for me in a motel and when there is something on my mind. How do you sleep before a match? Are there some techniques you use to help drop off in a strange place?

I would say I sleep about 4hrs before a match when I'm on the road. It's hard to be at your best with only 4hrs.

Thoughts?

JT

Have a few stiff drinks, but not so many that you have too much of a hangover.

:)

This is what I do. :)

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I don't sleep well most of the time.... it's even harder for me in a motel and when there is something on my mind. How do you sleep before a match? Are there some techniques you use to help drop off in a strange place?

I would say I sleep about 4hrs before a match when I'm on the road. It's hard to be at your best with only 4hrs.

Thoughts?

JT

Have a few stiff drinks, but not so many that you have too much of a hangover.

:)

Tried that for Il Section match.... missed the mark badly! lol

I have been on the road most of my life. Overseas and in the States and Canada. I find the best way is customize your motel room-push everything from the motel into the drawers, put scarves over the lights, put on the movie channel. Two alarm clocks so you are not missing your wake-up. Don't watch the news. BE's couple of drinks is good. I can count on one hand the number of times I did not wake up at my usual time-15 minutes before my alarm. Having familiar faces in the hall is good. Don't eat greasy food. Put your gear out before you go to bed. I always take a book that is not easy to read-it gets tough going and you can fall asleep-don't take a page turner, you'll read until dawn. I sleep anywhere-airports on the floor is good. I always have a hoody or jacket and an iPod or earplugs to block sound. 4hrs is ok-learn to accept it and promise yourself a nap when you are done shooting. 6-7 is better but more than that is probably not going to happen unless you are planted for a week. No more than 2 doses of caffeine a day.

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The night before a match, even at home, I make sure that everything is ready to go and double check it all. I load what I can into the truck the night before. Security is not a problem at my house but it is a significant consideration when at a motel so I don't load much the night before. I arrange for a wake up call as well as set an alarm. I sleep much better then.

I try not to use sleeping pills because I tend to be groggy the next morning. YMMV since everyone reacts differntly.

A lot of people take their own pillows to a motel. The ones they have are often pretty bad.

Set the HVAC fan to "on" which will help generate some background white noise. I also have a set of wax earplugs in case the motel room is noisy. I can still hear the phone ring or the alarm through these but not much else.

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Diet, with not too many carbs. Preparation; everything ready to go and double checked. Lights dimmed early, mental rehersal of the stages, and some over the counter Melatonin. Your body produces melatonin as a natural "go to sleep" medicine but bright lights slow production. Take one and start the drawn down early.

And yeah, two alarms helps. In hotels I'll set the alarm, ask for a wake up call, set my phone alarm, and set my watch alarm. :)

Leam

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I generally experience the same thing as Jim. I get maybe 3-4 hours of sleep before a match away from home. I tried sleeping pills before the 09 double tap and felt groggy until our lunch break. I didn't get a single wink of sleep before the pro-am this year and I still shot a decent match, so I think the negative effects from lack of sleep are somewhat lessened by the insane amount of excitement keeping me from sleeping. I did pass out in the car before we got out of the USSA parking lot, but I felt awake and aware on every stage.

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the biggest thing I find to help me relax the night before the drive and the match is knowing all of my gear, ammo, clothes and truck are ready to go

ready the afternoon prior to loading the truck and set out the night befor the match.

If I know all i have to do is get up and not scramble to get ready, it takes 50% of my match stress out of the picture.

now that being said

it is Tuesday afternoon and I have about 3 days of work to do prior to the 3 gun nationals that is in two days. . .

nuts

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  • 2 months later...
  • 6 years later...

Thread resurrection, but I thought this was worthwhile for the match insomnia club. 

 

From - "Undeniable with Joe Buck" - interview with hall of fame wide receiver Jerry Rice.

 

Night before his first Super Bowl he was too nervous to sleep or to eat anything the day of the game. Game started in the late afternoon. He was the MVP.

 

2nd superbowl, he did not mention eating but he said he did not get any sleep. Played another excellent game but did not get MVP. 

 

My take away from this is not to freak out & let yourself give up if you don't get the 40 winks you were hoping for. 

 

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10 hours ago, IHAVEGAS said:

 

My take away from this is not to freak out & let yourself give up if you don't get the 40 winks you were hoping for. 

 

"Hoping" is the source of all difficulties. :)

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My experience is not from shooting sports as I'm just diving into them. However, I think one thing that keeps people up at night before a big match, a big meeting, whatever is second guessing what they can do differently on "game day". Having confidence in your training will really help mitigate those second guessing feelings. 

 

If its following an instructional book or video, working with a coach, just pushing yourself, whatever helps you have confidence in the work you do before the match will help you sleep better the night before because you won't be worrying (or as worried) about what you maybe could have done. 

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