Late-night footy and your sleep: what a close game does to your heart rate

Thursday night's Rugby League World Cup opener in Sydney came down to the last few minutes: Australia 24, New Zealand 22, with the winning try late in the second half. If you watched it to the end, there's a good chance you went to bed still buzzing.

With the tournament running until 15 November, and plenty of games kicking off in the evening, footy fans are in for a month of late finishes. Here is what a close game does to your body, why it can be hard to switch off afterwards, how to enjoy the footy and still sleep well, and how the Thrive Health Band shows what a big night does to you.

What a close game does to your body

Watching your team in a tight contest is exciting, and your body responds that way. Tension and excitement switch on the body's stress response: adrenaline rises, your heart beats faster, your breathing picks up and your muscles tense, even though you're sitting still.

Researchers have measured it. In a small 2017 Canadian study of 20 healthy Montreal Canadiens fans, who wore heart rate monitors while watching their team, median heart rate went from about 60 beats a minute at rest to about 114 at the most intense moments, and the rise was bigger at the arena than in front of the TV. A much earlier study of Scottish football fans found heart rate climbed during matches too.

For a healthy heart this is a normal response, and part of what makes live sport fun. The catch is that it takes time to come back down, and a late finish leaves little time before bed.

Why it's hard to sleep after a night game

Your body is still revved up. After a tense finish, your heart rate stays up for a while and you can feel wide awake. The Sleep Health Foundation lists stimulating activities, including television and social media, among the things to avoid in the hour before bed.
Bedtime slides later. An 8pm kick-off finishes around 10pm. Add the post-match chat, highlights and the group chat, and lights out moves well past your usual time.
Screens keep you awake. Bright light in the evening can reduce melatonin, the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.
Drinks and late food. The Sleep Health Foundation notes alcohol might help you get to sleep but makes it harder to stay asleep, and a full stomach makes it harder to settle.
The alarm doesn't move. A late night followed by a normal start means a short night, and you may feel it the next day.

How to enjoy the World Cup and still sleep

Build in a wind-down buffer. After the final siren, give yourself 30 to 60 minutes of something low key: dim the lights, put the phone down, have a shower.
Save the replays for the morning. The highlights will still be there.
Keep your wake-up time steady. Then get some daylight in the morning to reset your body clock. Our article on a morning sunlight walk explains why it helps.
Eat earlier, or keep it light. If you're at the ground, have dinner before the game rather than a big meal at 11pm, and have water between drinks.
Choose your late nights. You don't have to watch every game live. Pick the ones that matter most to you and catch the rest as replays.
Notice your Mondays. If weekend games keep pushing your sleep later, see our article on social jetlag and Monday tiredness.

How Thrive shows what a big game does to you

The Band has no screen, so there's nothing to check during the game. Wear it day and night, and the Thrive by Optihealth app shows the full story the next morning.

Heart rate through the day and night. See your heart rate climb during the game and how long it takes to settle afterwards. Our article on reading your heart trends through the day explains how.
Stress and HRV. Thrive tracks stress through the day and measures your heart rate variability, so you can see how a tense evening and a late night show up overnight.
QQRT sleep scores. Thrive scores each night on Quantity, Quality, Regularity and Timing, so a late game shows up in your Timing and Regularity. Tonight's focus suggests three simple actions for the night ahead.
Today's Vitality. The morning after, Sleep & Recovery and Heart & Nervous System show how you came through the night.
Check-ins. Tag Alcohol or Coffee, or add your own factor such as "late game", so game nights show up in your patterns.
Ask Thrive. Try "How did my sleep compare after the late games?" or "How was my overnight resting heart rate after game nights compared with other nights?"

If you train with a coach or share your progress with a mate, Thrive Loops lets you share selected information with a participating trainer, health professional or someone you trust. You decide what to share and with whom, and you can change or revoke access at any time.

Thrive also learns what is usual for you across nine areas of your health, from what the Band measures and what you log, and keeps track right across your health, including heart, temperature, stress and mood, meals and Food Fit, blood tests, medications and supplements and your medical history.

Before you buy

You'll need a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Thrive app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play, in Australia and eight other countries. The app stores are only for downloading the app, though; they aren't where you buy the Band or a Plan. You can buy at thrivehealthband.com, or at a participating World Gym Australia location or health and wellness clinic.

The Thrive Health Band is A$660 for the first year under the launch offer. That includes the Band, which is yours to keep, and 12 months of the Thrive by Optihealth app, My Health on the web, Health Fingerprint, Ask Thrive, Thrive Loops and your data, paid once upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Free Australia-wide shipping during the launch offer (usually A$14.99).

Nothing renews automatically. After your first year, you can get a new band plus 12 more months for A$660, or keep your band and renew the Thrive Connected Plan for A$240 a year, or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

You're also covered by a 12-month Thrive Care Warranty, and consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

Why can't I sleep after watching a game?

Excitement raises your heart rate and leaves you wide awake, and a late finish, screens, drinks and food all push sleep later. A 30 to 60 minute wind-down can help.

Is it normal for my heart rate to go up watching sport?

Yes. Studies of fans show heart rate rises during tense moments, more at the ground than at home. For most people it settles again after the game.

Can Thrive show my heart rate during a game?

Yes. Thrive shows your heart rate through the day and night, plus your sleep scores and Today's Vitality the next morning.

For more answers, see Questions.