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Possible link between better sleep and more optimal poker performance
Okay this is stolen from a post I just started on another site. If anyone finds it interesting it would be great to hear as many thoughts as possible on the topic hence I have posted it here too...
"I noticed Doobs recently posted a question about psychological processes behind our thinking as poker players.
"I noticed Doobs recently posted a question about psychological processes behind our thinking as poker players.
I have recently finished my studies in psychology (probably why the post stood out to me). Another area where psychology may impact upon us as poker players has intrigued me for the last month or 2 and it is the link between better sleep and more optimal poker performance.
If anyone needs convincing as to just how important sleep is generally to our functioning then I can recommend this Ted X talk by Robert Foster who is an expert on the neuropsychology underpinning sleep.
The very basic premise is that there is a lot of research indicating better cognitive functioning after we have had a 'good sleep' and poor performance if we are sleep deprived. This is apart from a mass of negative physical and mental health implications that can result from being sleep deprived.
The slightly deeper premise is that as we are awake during the day a lot of metabolic byproducts or toxins build up in the brain due to all the neural activity taking place. When we sleep the glymphatic system (referred to by some as the 'waste management system') 'flushes' a lot of these toxins away by 'bathing' certain areas of the brain in cerebrospinal fluid. On top of this a lot of 'memory consolodation' takes place while we sleep which has direct implications on our cognitive functioning in relation to memory and attention.
As poker players I think many of us get in a pattern of doing all our stuff during the day, whether it is chores or taking care of kids or employment responsibilities. Then in the evening, when we are probably generally becoming a bit more tired and haven't slept for a while, we start playing poker. This is obviously, if the above factors are considered, the least optimal time to play poker. I have also noticed I tend to be more cognitively productive when I waken up after a good sleep (i.e. I have just woken up and my mind is whizzing and spewing all this rubbish).
Through chance I had an opportunity recently to test this all out. I was completing my uni studies and also trying to take part in the UKOPS leaderboard on Sky poker. Time and sleep management became a major issue as I juggled both and the pattern I got into was as follows... 5-7 hours study during the day - an hour or 2 taking care of other stuff and getting dinner etc - an hour or 2 nap - then playing poker for 5-7 hours - and finally getting my regular sleep at night.
As I was now playing my poker directly after an hour or 2 nap I noticed a huge difference in my poker and much improved results, even although I was being stretched quite thin overall. Although I had previously wondered about the link between 'good sleep' and improved poker performance. This gave me a practical example of the implications. I agree this is a ridiculously small sample size to judge things by, but the science behind it also makes sense and is something that has therefore grabbed my attention.
So maybe this is something for players to generally consider if they are looking to find a little bit extra of an edge?
Would be great to hear some opinions on this.
I am done with my studies but if I decide to do further postgrad study this is definitely an area I would be interested in exploring further.
So has anyone noticed anything similar or do you think this is all a pile of steaming %^&*?"
Comments
It's laughable to say that you could see the impact over a week's worth of MTTs or w/e obviously. Even if the different plan had a huuuge impact, say it increased his ROI in MTTs by 5% that'd still probably make such a tiny impact over the course of <100 MTTs as to not even be noticeable. But yeah, feeling rested, well fed, regular exercise, all gonna be good for getting the brain working better/increasing blood flow etc.
When it gets darker our body produces the hormone Melatonin which makes us sleepy. The levels of this during the day are very low but higher at night to help us sleep. Melatonin helps set our body clocks or circadian rythms. If you stare at a bright screen late at night, it effectively mimics daylight and Melatonin production goes down and we can find it harder to sleep.
Not sure about the other thing, I could only suggest a pair of sunglasses
@Lambert I am not sure it is as insignificant as you mention. The effect on concentration through being sleep deprived has been likened to being drunk. I can dig out some links which show the scale of the effect. I can say from experience that playing drunk can have quite a profound effect on results lol
Actually in tourneys I have had some surprisingly good results drunk. Cash games is a whole different story!
Nice one on the £660 chop.