Curfews can be a very beneficial aspect of time. It sets in motion a pattern of behaviour that can be regulated and controlled by certain individuals. There are benefits to curfews: It improves sleep; it can enhance mental health; it assists in helping to identify a schedule and limits risky behaviour. Curfews in sport is as important as in outside the sporting world.
An example is ODI's (One Day Internationals) and T20's in cricket. When it comes to day/night matches, matches have to start at a given time. If it doesn't start then, then the clock ticks until a particular time. If the match hasn't started by that point or play hasn't resumed, the match will be declared as abandoned. It's important to note to the readers who are unaware, that as time goes on (in delayed related matches), the number of overs are reduced by the amount of time lost. The point of this example is that the health of the players are taken as a priority.
This issue was brought to my attention by the ongoing Roland Garros (French Open) in tennis. It was a third round match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Museeti. The former emerged as the winner in a five-set match. The match ended at 03:08 (local time - Paris). Ironically, it wasn't either player that brought this up. It was, instead, Coco Gauff.
She said that allowing players to play at this time is not helathy. However, she also acknowledged that there are others who work in far worse conditions. She said, "I feel like a lot of times people think you’re done, but really at 3 a.m., then you have press, then you have to shower, eat and a lot of times people do treatment. That’s probably not going to bed until 5 a.m. at the earliest, maybe 6 or even 7 a.m. I definitely think it’s not healthy and maybe not fair for those who have to play late because it does ruin your schedule.”
Recently, the ATP (the sole worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organised by the Association of Tennis Professionals founded in 1990, that replaced the earlier dual Grand Prix Circuit and WCT Circuit) & WTA (Women's Tennis Association) published a joint statement, which outlined a new strategy to tackle the issue of late finishes on both the women’s and men’s tour.
The new rules now limit the amount of evening matches and prevents any match from starting after 23:00. However, this excludes the grand slams, i.e. Wimbledon; Roland Garros (French Open); Australian Open & U.S. Open. This particular issue mostly occurs in the French Open, Australian Open and US Open where the demand for tickets and broadcasting rights are higher. Wimbledon, meanwhile, has a curfew rule that prevents matches from continuing past 23:00.
I believe it's common knowledge that every athlete has a strict and time consuming schedule. This includes a sleeping timetable. As such, the more a match goes on, the less sleep you get.
Sleep deficiency can interfere with: work; school; driving and social functioning. People might have trouble learning, focusing, and reacting. Also, you might find it hard to judge other people's emotions and reactions. Sleep deficiency also can make you feel frustrated, cranky or worried in social situations (NIH, 2022).
Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including: heart disease; kidney disease; high blood pressure; diabetes; stroke; obesity and depression. Sleep deficiency is also linked to a higher chance of injury in adults, teens, and children (NIH, 2022).
The symptoms of sleep deficiency may differ between children and adults. Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including: heart disease; kidney disease; high blood pressure; diabetes; stroke; obesity and depression (NIH, 2022).
Sleep deficiency is also linked to a higher chance of injury in adults, teens and children. A common myth is that people can learn to get by on little sleep with no negative effects. However, research shows that getting enough quality sleep at the right times is vital for mental health, physical health, quality of life and safety. (NIH, 2022).
Insufficient sleep can impact your brain’s functioning, including: the ability to remember; regulate emotion and attention; the speed you process information and the ability to have insight. Even short-term sleep deprivation can impair these functions. In particular, sleep plays a key role in memory formation and consolidation (Better Health, 2014).
Sleep is vitally important for flushing out toxic waste products that build up in your brain during the day. Accumulation of these toxic proteins are involved in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. Sleep deprivation is associated with increased risk of both cognitive decline and dementia (Better Health, 2014).
Sleep deprivation is also highly co-morbid with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Sleep is closely connected to emotional regulation. The relationship between sleep deprivation and mental health disorders seem to be bi-directional. That is, mental health disorders can make it difficult to sleep while simultaneously poor sleep can be a contributing factor to the initiation and/or worsening of mental health problems (Better Health, 2014).
Sleep and the immune system are closely connected. During sleep, there is an increase in important proteins involved in immune function and inflammation (e.g., cytokines). Immune regulation during sleep may help with recovery and repair of wounds or fight off an infection. Consistent sleep can strengthen the immune response supporting a well-balanced immune defence system. This means that good sleep supports a more efficient response to vaccines and less server allergic reactions (Better Health, 2014).
Long-term sleep deprivation can negatively impact your immune response and can enhance susceptibility to infections and a reduced immune response to vaccination. Sleep deprivation is thought to lead to a persistent low-grade inflammation and also produce immunodeficiency, which both have detrimental effects on health (Better Health, 2014).
Sleep deprivation can also have an effect on your appearance. These include: dark undereye circles; drooping eyelids; pale skin; red eyes and swollen/puffy eyes (Cleveland Clinic, 2024).
There’s also a link between lack of sleep and an increase in the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol can break down collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth, which means a lack of sleep could mean more wrinkles (Cleveland Clinic, 2024).
Sleep deprivation, as per the evidence, is absolutely vital and important. Any athlete who suffers from this is essentially kissing their career and future prospects goodbye. Inserting curfews into sport therefore should be compulsory. With no curfew, there won't be any proper competition. The sport/s that we follow will end like a sudden and unforeseen tv show cancellation. Creating a schedule can help with this and builds order in life.
Reference List
Better Health. (2014). Sleep deprivation. [online]. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/sleep-deprivation (Accessed: 4 June 2024).
Cleveland Clinic. (2024). Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep. [online]. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep (Accessed: 4 June 2024).
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. (2022). What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency? [online]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation#:~:text=Sleep%20deficiency%20is%20linked%20to,adults%2C%20teens%2C%20and%20children (Accessed: 4 June 2024).