Today's life lesson - Sleep is good

[dgrdvm]

So I learned a good lesson this weekend. I have always prided myself on being tough, and able " walk things off" and still perform well. Last weekend I was shooting a major match, and thought it would be no big deal to drive 4 hours and then shoot. So I tried to get to sleep early ( but could not, as this was not my normal schedule, and we had a storm) and then got up at 3 AM, cleaned up and hit the road. Made it to the match just in time to strap on a gun and shoot with the squad. First stage went OK, and then I totally flubbed a hastily made stage plan, and came close to the 180. Thought to myself " suck it up and get your head on straight!". One of the squad suggested I withdraw and shoot a later squad, but no, I am tough. 

Bad call.

4 stages later broke the 180, and earned the DQ. And it was inevitable. 

Never again will I drive more than 90 min to a match on the day I shoot. Shame to jack up an Area match, but it was a lesson that will sink in.

I am not that tough, and it is a bad call to play with guns when you are tired. Seems really obvious now, but I need to learn the hard way I guess. Thankfully there was not any injuries or really a major risk - my squad was all RO's and they watched me closely - but I wanted to share my stupidity, and hope some one learns from my bad example.

[DukeEB]

Sleep is the most important thing to me for good performance.  While I will drive 2 hours for an important match, the farthest i usually go is just over 1 hour away. 

Those people who say "I'll sleep when I'm dead" will be dead a lot sooner without sleep.

[Boudreaux78]

I recently shot a major match and only had four hours sleep. Forgot to check my guns before the match, cost me quite a bit during the first day. I knew this rule, but ignored it a long time ago. I still think I can push myself too far and it always backfires! 

[Hi-Power Jack]

My first Major match shooting OPEN, I was so psyched, I didn't get One Minutes' sleep 

(No exaggeration).

Guess I'm not good enough to have it affect my shooting performance in the least - I

still came in where I normally do - and no one came close to getting hurt.

 

I'm nor recommending it, but it happened to me,once - hope never again.     

[Benji]

Have to always make sure that the stage plan involves 180 considerations! I've made the mistake of shooting matches on little sleep before and it's rough. It helps to recognize the risk and prioritize the risk management over the goal outcome though. 

[B21]

I had an interesting personal observation.  I typically have to work until midnight or later the night before most of our club matches, so it's pretty normal for me to only get 3 or 4 hours of sleep before a match.  When I attend majors, I always get a hotel the night before, and make sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep.  No surprise that I always perform MUCH better at the big matches when I do this.  My mental focus, and ability to visualize a state is vastly improved and so is my overall performance.  Sleep does matter! 

[Hi-Power Jack]

28 minutes ago, B21 said:

 Sleep does matter! 

 

think I'll go take a nap.     

[gnoyesiv]

I did a wake up early and drive 3 hrs to a match then shot the match in one day so I could be home with the wife and kids this year, and I really should have just went stayed and shot the match in the 2 days instead. I have now learned the error of my ways. sleep is so important.

[Merldizzle]

When I was a kid I could get away with no sleep, but I’ve learned to appreciate sleep as Well