oversleep to prepare for lack of sleep?

[CR0M]

For a 24 hour game, is it possible to over sleep the day before the game so that you dont need as much or any sleep during the game?

I personally get tired at work if i get too much sleep the night before. Just curious.

[T_A_N_K]

Really depends on the person. If you exhaust yourself before the game, you will probably sleep heavier and longer than usual.

It's all about the quality of sleep, not the quantity.

Also, just because the game runs for 24 hours, doesn't you have to be running/gaming for 24 hours as well.

[Brian McIlmoyle]

Originally Posted by CR0M

For a 24 hour game, is it possible to over sleep the day before the game so that you dont need as much or any sleep during the game?

I personally get tired at work if i get too much sleep the night before. Just curious.

Get a full nights sleep, hydrate and eat well before the game and you will be fine.

Grab a nap in game about half way through and you should be good to go.

24 hour games are designed to offer enough time to have a realistic operational pace, such a pace will involve times of low activity and times of high activity.

If your commander is on his game he will set aside time to allow people to rest.

[Reignman]

Full nights rest. Drink lots for a day or two leading up to the game to ensure you are well hydrated. Drink lots during the game. Alot of people tend to forget about hydrating during play and find themselves feeling like a can of crushed assholes half way through. Some carbs the night before doesn't hurt either so your body will have lots of energy to sustain you.

Not sure what your take is on energy drinks etc, but in a pinch if you need, I sometimes use the 5 hour energy's if I'm feeling a little sleepy at 2am. It gives my body a jolt to keep it going.

Alot of people burn themselves out within the first couple hours of the game. A 24 hour game isn't a race, think of it more as a marathon. It takes a bit to get used to and you really have to push yourself to make it. I didn't last my first 24 hour game. I didn't know what to expect.

Bring little snacks etc with you to keep your energy up. Trail mix, cliff bars, jerky. Small things you can keep on you to nibble on when you can.

Take advantage of your downtimes. As Brian said, if things are well organized you should be able to grab a couple zz's to keep you going.

[FOX_111]

You can't store "rest".

Just eat properly the day before, go to bed and try having at least 8h of sleep. Avoid alcool the day before and the day of the game. The morning of the game, have a complete breakfast with plenty of water. A good hydratation is essencial.

[Aper]

Oversleeping will only get you more tired. Notice it when you force yourself to sleep more during weekend just because you feel lazy; you'll be more tired in the end.

Sleep cycles are setted to be around 3 to 4 hours peaks depending on the person. Here's a good graphic to show you the importance of having a good night sleep for the biological clock;

[Blackthorne]

You can't bank sleep. Your body doesn't work that way.

Originally Posted by Reignman

Alot of people burn themselves out within the first couple hours of the game. A 24 hour game isn't a race, think of it more as a marathon. It takes a bit to get used to and you really have to push yourself to make it. I didn't last my first 24 hour game. I didn't know what to expect.

THIS.

I see guys running around 6 HOURS before game start with ALL THEIR KIT ON.

You want MilSim? Try forced rest before step off.

Your needs (megs loaded, batteries charged or replaced, hydration full, layers stowed, food stowed, ammo stowed, comms checked etc) should have been taken care of before you ARRIVED.

[Rickshaw]

Honestly if you're working physically, you won't even notice the 24 hours pass by. Just make sure you're drinking lots of water.

[5kull]

You can't store sleep like you can store energy in fat.

Soldiers learn to grab a few zzzzz's whenever they can and they learn to function in a half asleep zombie like trance that I can't explain but that veterans will understand. We did it for a whole week at a time, but you wont be able to learn to do that in a 24 hours game My suggestion, learn to use your energy wisely, like a long distance runner.

Think of yourself as a battery that contains a certain amount of energy. Recharge when you can by eating regularly and only foods that are easy to digest and high in calory, don't waste your energy digesting.

Be calm, don't burn a ton of nervous energy as if you where playing a video game or playing a sport. Soldiering is closer to hunting then playing sports.

Worse thing you can do is sleep/wake/sleep/wake and focus on your lack of sleep, your body and brain will be all fucked up.

If time is put aside for sleep, first eat a warm meal that is easy to digest, then sleep.

If your in good shape and have a lot of discipline, don't sleep unless you have to.

Take care, Skull

[Rommen]

Think of your body as having a finite amount of available energy, similar in some ways to a battery. There are a few ways to put more energy into you that don't include sleep, the main one being food.

Eat good hearty meals and drink more water than usual in the 2 days leading up to the game. On game day itself it is all about giving your body what it needs. A good balanced breakfast (eggs, bacon, bread, fruit and cheese). During the game it changes though, I go by the saying "Little and often." You don't want to eat a meal or chug water during the game as it will be too much at once and slow you down or make you sick. Think of it as snacking all day, a constant trickle of food and water to replace what you're losing, at a similar rate. Water is your best friend and should be your main beverage. Gatorade or sports drinks are essential to replace lost electrolytes, but if it's all you drink you will get too much. Fruits on game say are also a good idea as they have a high water content and won't dry you out as much when you eat them, as well as having good nutritional value (apples, peppers, etc). Fatty foods are your 'instant energy' and can suffice for all food groups, for a short time if you are really hungry. My personal choice is chocolate - easy to carry and eat, quick energy, and tasty lol!

Another way to put more energy into yourself without sleep is energy drinks or other stay-awake drugs. I can't really attest to much in this area as I don't drink energy drinks and haven't felt a need to, as just eating right has gotten me through the games. Although if it was a longer time period I can see where they might be useful, remember the less you use them the more effective they will be when you really need that energy boost.

Lastly it is how you play the game in general. If possible take the easiest route in, don't expend your energy needlessly if you don't have to. Good quote I remember "Never run when you can walk, never walk when you can stand, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lay down, never lay down when you can sleep." Instead of always being hard charger, fight smart and you will last longer. As someone above me said, a 24 hour game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.

[CR0M]

Great stuff. Ive done the 24 hour games before, i just was curious if sleep could be banked, lol. Sounds funny i know, but i thought id ask.

[Aper]

Originally Posted by 5kull

You can't store sleep like you can store energy in fat.

Soldiers learn to grab a few zzzzz's whenever they can and they learn to function in a half asleep zombie like trance that I can't explain but that veterans will understand

God yes .... short story here;

I remember back in Afghanistan, we were doing night patrols with our Coyotes, and I was the driver. We stopped at one specific place to do observation. I tucked down the driver's seat and felt asleep.

My Gunner started yelling at me to wake up. I woke up in a scare and the first thing I did was putting the power off and choking the motor to die.

When I realized what I just did, my Sgt told me ehhh ... what the fuck dude ? HAHA one of those jump-out-of-your-sleep reflexes haha.

[Blackthorne]

I woke up on a ruck march once. Friend of mine did too...

[Cobrajr122]

I went to sleep in a tent... woke up in a trench 200 meters away... Good times.

I have been sticking to a good sleep schedule for the last 6 months or so since I was shown this website. I wake up every morning naturally (Alarm is still set just in case) and I feel great all day.

http://sleepyti.me/

Get into a good 8 hour sleep schedule, stay hydrated, eat well, exercise, and you will have no problem going 24h+

[horto]

On a similar note, I woke up at around 5:30am at this year's Rhino shocked to see a number of American forces asleep on the ground, in just their bdu's, shivering. (It was cold and dewy... not to mention if your cottony bdus were wet with sweat from hours prior).

Instead of trying to stay awake the entire 24 hours, how about some discussion on preparedness -- you don't necessary even need a tent, just a sleeping bag, maybe a bivy, tarp and some bug netting depending on the time of year and the weather conditions. Stow it all in the 3-day pack you left in your base/spawn and you're good for whatever the day (night) throws at you.

I dunno what happened, after I hit 30 I can't stay awake for shit anymore. :P