How do you sleep before a big game with an early start?

Set up everything for the morning so there is nothing to do when the alarm goes, step off your phone and the pre-match feeds, do about ten minutes of slow breathing to downshift, then a guided yoga nidra to settle into deep rest. This Burst runs those four steps in order over about 95 minutes.

What if I still cannot fall asleep?

That is what the yoga nidra is for. It banks real, restorative rest whether or not you drop off, and one lighter night before a big morning will not wreck how you feel, because rest builds up across the whole week rather than one sleep.

How long does it take?

About 95 minutes across four steps: a short tidy and morning prep, ten minutes of breathwork, some reading on paper, and a 30-minute guided yoga nidra.

Do I have to put my phone away?

It helps. Stepping off the screens and pre-match hype an hour or so before bed is one of the most reliable ways to wind down, so the Burst builds in reading on paper as the way off the feeds.

Prepare for the Early Kick-Off

Quality: Very good· 98.3%Effort: Demanding· 21h 37m

There’s a big match at 4am, but you're too wired to sleep.

Aim to settle early and bank some rest before a 4am alarm, so even a shorter night of sleep can still leave you feeling ok for the match. Head into the evening with a little bout of tidying to bring things into a calm kind of order, a spot of reading, breathwork and then a yoga nidra to really settle you into deep rest or sleep.

The runsheet

1
Setting up with tidying
Tidying & cleaning (mindful)
When you know a 4am alarm coming it can leave you in weird state of being wired. So start by setting yourself up well. Take ten minutes to tidy the lounge, put out anything you might want ready for the morning and setup the kettle or coffee.
10 min activitySetup 3 min · Reset 3 min · 16 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing tidying & cleaning (mindful) before breath work
This can be a good pairing because breath work can help you settle into the cleaner space while releasing any remaining tension.
2
Ten minutes of controlled breathing
Breath work
To help take things down another notch turn towards breathwork. Ten minutes of long, even breaths, with the out-breath a little longer than the in, can tip your system toward rest and take the edge off before you settle in for the night. A steady four-in, six-out is a good pattern to follow.
10 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 12 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing breath work before reading (mindful)
This can be a good pairing because a calm, focused state from breath work can carry into mindful reading and sustained attention.
3
Swap the screen for a book
Reading (mindful)
Swap out your screen for a few pages of a book. It might just give a restless mind somewhere gentler to go, and reading this close to bed tends to make the eyes heavy on its own.
25 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 27 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing reading (mindful) before yoga nidra
This works well because the settled state from reading can deepen into the restful state of Nidra without much state change.
4
A guided yoga nidra
Yoga Nidra
This is jewel in the crown for tipping you over into deep rest. Choose a guided yoga nidra, then all you need to is just close your eyes and feel the heaviness take over. If you drift off, even better, just make sure you are set up for that before you press play.
30 min activitySetup 6 min · Reset 6 min · 42 min all-in
Time well spent.
1h 37m spent doing something good for yourself.

The breakdown

Burst evaluation

QualityVery good· 98.3%

Sequencing100%

Logistics96.6%

DifficultyDemanding· 2

Total activity97m / 149mManageable

Physical activity20m / 29mGentle

Mental focus65m / 119mManageable

Introspection10m / 29mGentle

Creativity0m / 59mGentle

+ 4 more conditionsHow we assess →

Wellbeing focus

The relative wellbeing focus of this Burst.

HighEmotional

MedPhysical

HighSelf

LowSocial

MedIntellectual

About this Burst

This is built for the fan watching an overseas tournament from home, with a 4am alarm set for kick-off. The night-before job is to bank rest early and settle your mind that's already on the match. We prepare the morning first so there’s no stressing at 4am, some breathwork, get off your screen, then hold a long guided deep-rest that banks real rest even when sleep won't fully come. Let the deep-rest take you off to sleep if you’re ok with that.

Wind down for the night Athletes & active At home Evening Under 2 hours

Common questions

Prepare for the Early Kick-Off1h 37m · free in the app1h 37m · free in the app