‘I’ve put my family on a nap schedule': 5 ways to survive late night World Cup games

‘Mum, can I go to Ed's to watch the Ecuador v Ivory Coast match at the weekend?’ my 15-year-old son Seth asked, catching me off-guard as I nodded and stacked the dishwasher. It wasn’t until a couple of hours later that I realised the Ecuador game is at midnight on Monday morning.

When I told him – gently – that he’d have to stay at home, explaining that he’d getting up for school four hours after getting home; and that the match immediately followed a weekend-long, inevitably sleepless, camping trip, I was met by a very robust counter attack. The World Cup happens once very four years. We’ve done our exams, we’re not doing anything in school now. And then – crucially – Ed's mum is from Ecuador. His whole family will be gathered to watch the game with delicious Ecuadorian snacks. Finally, the winning shot – Ecuador MIGHT NEVER PLAY in the World Cup again. ‘Or if they do, I will be an adult and I might NOT EVEN KNOW Ed then.’ 1-0 to Seth.

It was at that point that I decided we needed some team tactics to survive. In case you have escaped the build-up, this year’s kick-offs aren’t handily scheduled between 10am and 7pm, as they were for the surprisingly sleep-friendly 2022 World Cup in Qatar. No! This time, with locations spread throughout the US, Canada and Mexico, crucial matches are scheduled for as late as 3am.

What’s a football fan to do? In the name of research, I spoke to Dr Tom Davis, country manager and clinical director for Kry Livi for ideas on how to help teenagers and their parents get through what will be an exciting and exhausting four weeks. From nap schedules to banking sleep, his ideas are actionable and family-friendly. I’ve already vowed to put them in place from the start.

‘The World Cup is one of those rare events that makes the whole country forget what time it is,’ says Dr Davis. ‘Which is fine – until the alarm goes off at 6.30am and you realise you’ve had four hours’ sleep, you’ve eaten your body weight in crisps, and you’ve somehow mainlined three cups of coffee before midnight.

‘We’re not here to tell you not to watch. We’re GPs, not killjoys. But there are genuinely smart ways to get through a run of late kick-offs without feeling terrible for the next fortnight. Here’s what we’d actually tell our own patients…’

Get your nap schedule right

A well-timed nap can be a genuinely useful tool but get it wrong and you’ll be lying awake at 2am wondering why you’re not tired, says Dr Davis.

‘Keep naps to 20 minutes if you can. That’s just long enough to take the edge off tiredness and improve alertness without tipping you into deep sleep, which is where the grogginess comes from. Set an alarm – don’t rely on waking up naturally.

Timing matters, too. A nap between about 1pm and 3pm tends to align with the body’s natural early-afternoon dip, making it easier to fall asleep and easier to wake up. Napping any later risks interfering with your night-time sleep – which, if you’ve already been up late watching football, is exactly what you don’t need.

For children and school-age teens who want to stay up for an evening kick-off, a short nap after school can help them last longer without the overtired meltdown that almost always happens at the worst possible moment.’

Bank sleep before the big matches

This is the one most people ignore, says Dr Davis, and it’s the most effective thing you can do. ‘Think of sleep like a bank account. If you know you’re going to make a withdrawal on Tuesday night, make some deposits first. Going to bed even 30 to 45 minutes earlier on the nights before a late match can make a real difference to how you cope with the disruption.’

The science backs this up. Adults need roughly seven to nine hours of sleep per night and, ‘while you can’t truly “pre-load” sleep, building up a small buffer in the nights running up to a big game – and in the days that follow – helps your body recover faster from the odd late night.’

Use coffee cleverly

‘Caffeine is not the enemy, but it needs a bit of respect,’ advises Dr Davis.

‘There’s a tendency to reach for coffee the moment you feel tired. But if you’re drinking it too late in the day, it can make it much harder to get to sleep even once the match is over. Caffeine has a half-life of roughly five to six hours, which means a coffee at 10pm is still doing its thing at 3 or 4am.

‘The sweet spot, broadly speaking, is before 3pm if you want to sleep by midnight. If a late match demands some caffeine help, one small coffee an hour before kick-off is far better than two large ones at half-time.

‘I’d also suggest not underestimating tea – including standard builder's tea. It has enough caffeine to help you stay awake but tends to be gentler on the system than a double espresso at 11 o'clock.’

Eat well for better recovery

The combination of late nights and big-match excitement is essentially a perfect storm for snacking on things you’ll regret, says Dr Davis. ‘The adrenaline makes it hard to notice you’re full; the late hour means your body is less efficient at processing a big sugar hit; and frankly, nobody ever reached for a handful of blueberries when their team just equalised in the 89th minute.

‘We’re not saying don’t enjoy yourself. But there’s a real difference between a planned, decent meal before kick-off and picking at salty, high-sugar snacks for two hours straight. The latter will spike your blood sugar, cause a crash, leave you feeling worse the next day and, ironically, make it harder to sleep properly once you do get to bed.’

Water, he adds, is routinely underestimated. Mild dehydration makes fatigue feel significantly worse. Keep a glass nearby the following day.

The rules for children

If the children are watching, too, the same principles apply – but the margins are tighter, says Dr Davis. ‘Young children are much more sensitive to disrupted sleep, and one very late night can affect behaviour, concentration and mood for several days afterwards.

‘My honest advice for families is to pick one or two matches that feel unmissable and make them a proper occasion. The nap before, an early tea, no screens for 20 minutes before bed once it’s over. If they’re going to be up late, at least set them up well for it.’