Sleep coach for GAA | Stop chasing perfect sleep | The 8-hour myth

<p><strong>Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&amp;C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: </strong><a href="https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter</a></p><p>Should you always go to bed at the same time? Is eight hours a myth? And why is your sleep tracker maybe doing more harm than good?</p><p>With club championships now in full swing, I sat down with Emmett Lynch, a professional sleep coach trained in cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, to break down what&#39;s actually happening when GAA players can&#39;t sleep before or after a big game.</p><p>Emmett works with county players, club players and elite boxers through his practice in Derry, and he&#39;s blunt about the myths doing the rounds: the eight hour rule, mouth taping, magnesium tablets, obsessive sleep tracking. </p><p>His whole approach flips the usual advice on its head. Instead of chasing sleep harder, he tells players to try easier.</p><p>In this episode, we also cover: </p><p>• The most common issues GAA players bring to him</p><p>• Why &quot;tired&quot; and &quot;sleepy&quot; are two completely different things</p><p>• The truth about bedtime routines, screens and phone scrolling before bed</p><p>• A simple write-it-down method for a racing mind the night before a game</p><p>• Controlled rest periods versus naps on match day</p><p>• Getting to sleep after a night game full of adrenaline</p><p>• Whether elite athletes actually need more sleep than everyone else</p><p>• Sleep trackers - are they helping or hurting your recovery? </p><p>• The truth about melatonin, magnesium and mouth taping</p><p>Whether you&#39;re a player struggling to switch off before championship or a coach trying to help your squad recover better, this one is worth your time.</p><p>You can follow or reach out to Emmett on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adultsleepcoachni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Instagram</a></p>