Can’t Sleep Before a Race? It’s a Good Sign, But Here’s What to Do About It

Sleeping before a race can be a nightmare. When you’re trying to fall asleep early, in a strange bed, with the mental checklist repeating in your head and all the pre-race nerves sparking like electricity, sleep is the last thing your jittery body wants to do. What if you sleep in and miss the start? Are you really capable of hitting those splits? What if you forget your goggles, or bike shoes, or you can’t go to the toilet in the morning? The stress is real.

It’s Actually a Good Sign

With all the nervous energy and stressful thoughts, you’re probably never going to have the best sleep of your life before a race; however, that can be a good sign.

“Nerves are a normal response,” says sports psychologist Joel Guillen Cots, who works with both professional and amateur athletes in team and individual sports.

“Nerves are necessary and it’s a basic thing that happens to everyone if you’ve been preparing for a competition that’s important to you. It’s part of our biology,” he explains.

Not only are nerves normal and natural but, as Guillen Cots says, “Getting nervous is good for us. We need to be activated, we need to be ready. It’s natural—it’s your body getting ready for the race.”

Being “activated” or nervous might be a good sign, but it can make sleep a challenge. To help make pre-race sleep as good as possible, there are a few things you can do.

Scheduling

A good night’s sleep starts well before bedtime. In your race plan, include a bedtime schedule and communicate it with whomever you’re sharing your accommodation with. Figure out what time you want to go to bed and work backwards to schedule when you need to wind down, brush your teeth, take any supplements and, most importantly, eat your final meal/snack and finish using your phone or any other screens. Naturally, you won’t be used to going to bed at an earlier time than usual, but following your normal routine will help get your mind and body prepared.

Temperature

If you can control your room temperature, great! When you arrive at your race accommodation, set your thermostat right away so you can dial in your preferred sleeping (and daytime) temperature. If you don’t have any climate control, you might need to ask the hotel for extra blankets, or a fan (or buy one). A cold shower before bed can also help drop your core body temperature (which works whether you’re hot from air temperature or nerves). 

When booking your accommodation, pay attention to whether there is air conditioning—if you’re racing in a hot climate, it will be worth it.

Darkness

Hotel rooms can be incredibly bright, and darkness is a key factor in getting a good night’s sleep. Use towels, blankets, or extra clothes to block any light leaks from doors or windows and cover bright screens or indicator lights on dishwashers, thermostats, or televisions. Since darkness can help signal to your brain that it’s time for bed, try making the room dark an hour or more before you want to sleep—and that includes getting off your phone.

Naturally, an eye mask is a great addition, but if you’re not used to sleeping with one, it can be bothersome when you’re so activated. Using an eye mask and blocking all the light is the best combination, but comfort trumps a mask.

Silence

Not everyone is racing and noisy neighbors or people out enjoying their evening can ruin your sleeping plans. Street noise or other ambient sounds, like the hotel air conditioning, can be loud enough to keep you half awake. Simple ear plugs or comfortable noise cancelling ear buds can make your room serene.

Noise

Of course, complete silence might make the chatter in your head too loud. If you can’t sleep because you can’t stop going over “the list,” race scenarios, that work project you left undone, or even what you have to do when you get home, try listening to white noise, gentle music, or even a dull podcast or “boring book.” Having one noise to distract your brain can be just the ticket to send you off to sleep.  

Mindfulness

If you have a mindfulness practice, pre-race is one of the best times to use it, before bed or otherwise. If you don’t, simple deep breathing or box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4), can calm your nervous system and help you fall asleep. If you need guidance, there are plenty of guided bedtime meditations out there to help.

Supplements

Supplementation is another way to help urge your body into sleep. Always consult a nutritionist to figure out what supplements can help you and test them far in advance of your race. Athletes often have success with magnesium, melatonin, ashwagandha and L-theanine but all of these should be taken with practitioner guidance. 

Acceptance

Accepting that you’re not going to have the best sleep can actually help you fall asleep. Try to prioritize sleep leading into the race so you’re well rested before, and then just let the pressure go. One bad night’s sleep before a race doesn’t outweigh all the training and preparation you have done–you can still perform. Let go of the stress to have the perfect night’s sleep, ignore your wearable sleep or readiness score in the morning, and go smash it.

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