When You Can’t Turn Off: How Coaches Can Beat Sleep Issues After Games

Coaching doesn’t clock out.

It’s not a 9 to 5. It’s all-in, all the time. The final whistle blows, but your head doesn’t.

That’s why so many coaches can’t sleep after games. You’ve tried the basics: cool room, no screens, breathing, journaling. Solid tools, but they don’t touch the real issue.

Because the problem isn’t just bedtime habits. It’s the game still playing in your mind.

Why Coaches Struggle to Sleep After Games

It’s not just adrenaline. It’s deeper.

• Cognitive overload. The replay won’t stop. Decisions, mistakes, calls. Your brain is stuck in film mode.

• Emotional residue. Win or lose, you’re still carrying it. Anger. Relief. Frustration. Hype. Those emotions keep your system lit.

• Anticipatory anxiety. You’re not only replaying the past, you’re forecasting the future. What does this mean for the season? What’s next? Who’s judging?

• Hyperarousal. Your body is still in fight-or-flight. Tired but wired.

• Perfectionism. Control is your default. When things aren’t perfect, the smallest mistake loops like a broken record.

Why the Usual Tips Don’t Cut It

Good sleep habits help. But they skim the surface. If you don’t clear the mental overload and calm the nervous system, nothing changes.

What Works Instead

1. Process the Game on PurposeThe issue isn’t thinking about the game. It’s doing it unconsciously while trying to sleep.

• Set a 20-minute window before bed. Review the game deliberately.

• Write it out: the decisions, the mistakes, the frustrations.

• Then close the file. Tell yourself: I’ll revisit this tomorrow. Tonight is for rest.

2. Use the Physiological SighA reset button for your nervous system.

• Inhale deep through your nose.

• Add a short second inhale.

• Exhale slowly, fully through your mouth.

• Repeat 2 to 3 times.

This lowers heart rate and unlocks calm.

3. Build a Buffer ZoneYou can’t go from 100 mph to zero instantly.

• Give yourself at least an hour of low-stimulation activity. Stretch, warm shower, light conversation, calm music.

• Avoid triggers like game tape or heavy debrief.

4. Anchor Back to the PresentYour brain wants to solve everything at 1 a.m. Don’t let it.

• Ground yourself in what you can feel, hear, see.

• Repeat: “Right now, my job is to rest. Tomorrow is for solutions.”

5. Shift the PerspectiveRest isn’t a luxury. It’s part of the job.

• Remind yourself: sleep is training.

• A sharper tomorrow starts with recovery tonight.

Take This With You

“If you can’t switch it off, it’s because you haven’t processed it.”

“Your mind needs a cool-down like your body.”

“Sleep is part of the game plan. Treat it like training.”

“Rest now. Coach sharper tomorrow.”