The World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada has started. This means that the Dutch national team plays in the heat, while the fans in the Netherlands often have to stay up late. The Dutch team plays matches at 7 and 10 o’clock in the evening and a match at 1 o’clock at night. For fans of the Curaçao football team, there is even a match scheduled for 2 a.m. Dutch time.
Negative effect on concentration
These types of competitions disrupt our sleep rhythm and can cause temporary sleep deprivation. According to Dr. Raymond Vogels, who works as a somnologist for the Ruysdeal sleep clinic in Amsterdam, this does not necessarily have to be problematic. “A late game once in a while won’t hurt, but if you systematically watch a lot of games at night, this will lead to negative cognitive and physical effects.”
Systematic sleep deprivation affects concentration and memory. It is also detrimental to the immune system and hormonal regulation. To prevent this, Vogels gives us 5 tips: