Over the years, scientists tested the effects sleep has on our bodily and mental functions. If you don't get enough hours of sleep, it will undoubtedly affect your ability to maximize profits with flush poker combinations.
Unfortunately, many poker players work full-time jobs, which only leaves nighttime for them to hone their poker skills. Some players even go for all-nighters when they play poker, especially if they are playing against opponents from distant countries.
But playing into the night, especially if it makes you change your sleeping patterns, can negatively affect your health and poker play. Now is your chance to find out why sleep is so important when you play poker online!
How Sleep Can Affect Your Poker Skills
So, how can lack of sleep affect your cognitive abilities and other functions? According to the Sleep Foundation, all-nighters can be especially harmful to you. A total lack of sleep for more than 24 hours can lead to the following:
- Reduced attention span and concentration abilities.
- Slower reaction time.
- Impaired constructive thinking, affecting your ability to react to your environment.
- Reduced cognitive place-keeping, which hinders your ability to deal with complex tasks.
- Worse short-term and long-term memory, even going as far as increasing the risk of creating false memories.
- Increase Cortisol levels, which is a hormone associated with stress and anxiety.
- Mood swings, anger and irritability are more common.
- General fatigue.
- Lower pain threshold.
All of those factors can seriously affect your ability to play poker well. If you're not able to concentrate or control your feelings while you place bets, your chances of making smart and calculated decisions at the poker tables are bound to go downhill.
So, what can you do about it?
How to Make it Through an All-Night Poker Session
If you have no other option than play during the night, thus losing on some sleep, there are a few things you can do: first of all, experts recommend that you drink caffeinated drinks and remain hydrated throughout the night.
You also should keep the room you're in as bright as possible, as it will help your brain produce hormones that can keep you more alert.
Some even recommend that you chew gum, as it was associated with enhanced attention and productivity in the past.
In addition to that, you should move around as much as possible, as it can affect blood flow to your brain. Last but not least, before you make any decision at the poker table, you should take a moment to review your move and make sure you're not making rash decisions due to tiredness.
Sweet Dreams!
We've all had all-nighters here and there, but since lack of sleep can have major effects on our life, you should avoid making those a habit. Most people need 6 to 9 hours of sleep to feel well-rested, which can affect their ability to function throughout the day.
Therefore, you should do your best to get a good night's sleep if you're planning to play online poker the next day. That means doing everything in your power to optimize your sleeping schedule, whether it will require the use of earplugs to fall asleep quicker or preventing exposure to blue light an hour before going to bed.
Following a specific bedtime ritual, meditation, and going to bed at the same hour every day might also prove to be useful.
Rest Up and Play Poker!
Now that you know how important sleep is and how it can affect your ability to play poker – are you going to change your sleeping patterns?