The FIFA World Cup 2018 is about to kick off its first game, and the anticipation is heating up to get thick into the month-long feast of footballing action.
Unlike the previous edition in Brazil, having Russia as host now means a five-hour time difference.
The good news here is that the majority of the 64 matches will be kicking-off as early as 8pm. The downer? As with any event in the European time zone, late matches are inevitable, especially in the all-important knockout stages and finals, where the 2am kick-offs will be coming at us hard and fast.
While adrenaline and the excitement from the beautiful game will keep fans up till the wee hours, the struggle will come when it’s time to wake up for work, reach the office on time and keep awake through the day.
We’ve done our homework to come up with an arsenal of tips from fans in the Lion City to help you enjoy the action-packed nights and survive the next day at work.
#1 Selective watching
Every match may be important and sleep may be for the weak but while your heart may have space for all your tournament favourites, consider selectively watching the late matches to ensure that you get enough sleep. Bear in mind that the games are going to last for a full month!
“I’ll be selectively watching the late games and make sure to load up on more Vitamin C to prevent myself from falling sick.” – Boey Zhiren, 30, capital management associate and France fan
#2 Steal naps
With matches kicking off at 8pm, 11pm and 2am, catching power naps between the games and during the day can help you cope with the fatigue that comes with staying up past your regular bedtime.
“Thankfully most of the matches in this tournament are at a fairly reasonable time. But as with any event in the European time zone, it’s all about taking naps where you can and having a lot of coffee.” – Lisa Lim, 30, lawyer and Germany fan
#3 Coffee… But not all at once
Caffeine works great in helping us power through the mornings and keep us awake in the afternoons, but according to Sleep Researcher Christopher Drake, it’s more effective to take small cups of coffee to help maintain alertness throughout the day rather than chug a whole Venti-sized mug at the start of work.
“It’s about putting the kids to sleep early, plugging in the headphones, having coffee, and even more coffee. In cases of ‘emergency’, Red Bull! Work-wise, I’ll be clearing all deadlines before kick-off, although I will contemplate doing work while watching games that are not so high profile. The incentive at work the next day is the matches coming up later in the evening.” – Edroos Alsagoff, 39, freelance art director and Argentina fan
#4 Adjusting your sleep schedule
The most hardcore fans will be adjusting their sleep schedules around the match timings. For some, this could mean going to bed early in the evenings, waking up for the matches, and then heading back to sleep.
“Besides making use of mobile streaming programmes such as Singtel’s TV GO, I’ll be sleeping around the World Cup games. If necessary, I’ll complete any outstanding work done during the matches.” – Harvinder Singh, 30, education officer and Portugal fan
#5 Catch the highlights
Should all else fail and work take precedence, consider recording the late matches, catch up with delayed telecasts or make do with match highlights. At the very least, you will still get to track the action, be it heartbreak or cheer, without having to lose sleep over it.
“I will probably watch a live screening of the Brazil versus Costa Rica match with other Chelsea FC Supporters’ Club Singapore fans since it will be on at 8pm. The other matches are quite late, so I will probably catch the match highlights on the various sports websites.” – Cindy Chew, 30, senior executive and Brazil fan.