How Gambling Impacts Your Sleep

February 05, 2025
4
0

As we gear up for one of the most exciting events of the year in North America —the Super Bowl—there’s more than just football on people’s minds. For many, it’s also a chance to place a bet or two (or more) on their favorite team. Sports betting has become a massive part of the Super Bowl experience, with millions of dollars wagered on everything from the outcome of the game to the color of the Gatorade. But what if all that betting is affecting your sleep? Gambling can affect, and be affected by, your sleep.
In this blog, we’re going to look at how gambling, particularly around big events like the Super Bowl, can disrupt your sleep, and why making certain betting decisions can leave you tossing and turning at night.

  1. The Anxiety of Winning or Losing
    Let’s face it: gambling can stir up a rollercoaster of emotions. From the adrenaline rush of a potential win to the gut punch of a loss, these emotional ups and downs can have serious consequences for your sleep. If you’ve ever found yourself unable to shake the nerves or excitement of a bet, you’re not alone.
    Research shows that anxiety, especially in the form of worrying about a loss or obsessing over the outcome of a gamble, can lead to difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, anxiety raises your heart rate and increases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, both of which keep you awake at night. So if you’re placing bets on the Super Bowl with high stakes—especially if it’s money you can’t afford to lose—it’s no wonder you might be lying awake replaying every play in your mind.
  2. Making Poor Decisions While Betting
    We all know that gambling can lead to some pretty poor decision-making, especially when emotions are involved. A bad bet here and there is one thing, but continuing to make bad calls in the heat of the moment can have a lasting impact on both your wallet and your sleep.
    When people gamble impulsively, they’re often making choices based on excitement or desperation rather than logic. This can lead to regret, which, as you may have experienced, can keep you up at night as you think about what went wrong. Studies have shown that regret is a major sleep disruptor. The mental weight of making a decision you know wasn’t wise can leave you lying awake with a racing mind, replaying the scenario and wondering where it all went wrong.
  3. The Impact of Extended Gambling Sessions
    Super Bowl weekend is famous for bringing people together—not just to watch the game, but to make the most of betting opportunities. Whether you’re placing bets on the game itself, the halftime show, or even the coin toss, gambling becomes an extended activity, and for some, it can stretch late into the night.
    When you’re involved in gambling over a long period, especially if you’re losing sleep over it, you start to see the consequences on your body’s natural rhythms. The Journal of Gambling Studies notes that long sessions of gambling, particularly if they’re accompanied by stress or lack of sleep, can worsen issues like insomnia and fatigue.
    If you’re gambling into the late hours—perhaps trying to chase a loss or make a quick win—you might find yourself sleep-deprived the next day, unable to focus on the Super Bowl festivities or your daily responsibilities.
  4. The Vicious Cycle: Sleep Deprivation and Gambling
    For some, sleep deprivation becomes a vicious cycle tied to gambling. Lack of sleep makes you more prone to emotional highs and lows, which in turn makes you more likely to gamble impulsively. This cycle leads to increased levels of stress and poor decision-making, which further disrupts your sleep.
    Sleep deprivation affects judgment, and when combined with gambling, can result in making decisions that are out of character or that have longer-term negative effects. Not getting enough rest might seem like a small issue at first, but it can increase impulsivity, a major factor in how many people make poor betting choices. So, if you plan on betting during the Super Bowl, remember that a lack of sleep could make it harder for you to think clearly and make sound decisions, setting you up for regret later on.
  5. Zenbev Drink Mix is a clear winner here. Zenbev helps keep you calm and preserves your normal sleep architecture. While it can’t pick the winner, it can help you be in a much better state of mind to make logical, rational decisions and help you get proper rest no matter how the chips fall. Since gambling can affect, and be affected by, your sleep, have a plan to deal with it.

    While sports betting during the Super Bowl can add an extra layer of fun to the event, it’s important to remember that your sleep is crucial to your well-being. The anxiety, impulsivity, and long hours associated with gambling can leave you feeling drained and mentally foggy—making it harder to enjoy the game or your time with friends and family. So, if you’re going to bet, do it wisely, set limits, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep to truly enjoy the experience.
    And hey, if you find yourself tossing and turning after placing that big bet, you might want to reconsider your strategy next time. Because in the end, sleep is the real MVP.