The 20-minute trick that could help England fans stay up to watch Mexico World Cup tie

England fans are facing a late-night dilemma ahead of their World Cup clash against Mexico , with sleep experts advising against live viewing for those who aren't natural night owls. The 1 am kick-off presents a challenge, though a power nap is suggested for supporters determined to brave the early hours. This comes as the government announced on Thursday that pubs can stay open until 5 am for the fixture. Consequently, fans with Monday morning commitments must weigh up staying awake for the blockbuster match or prioritising sleep, alongside deciding where to watch the action. “My advice would be not to stay up,” Dr Dally Chalmers, a health psychologist and sleep expert at Keele University , told the Press Association. “Maybe instead record it, that’s what I would encourage as a practitioner. Obviously it’s not the same vibe.” She told PA that when people get less sleep than they need, there are several knock-on impacts, including grogginess, increased hunger and short memory lapses – and said the outcome of the game will also impact rest. A power nap is suggested for supporters determined to brave the early hours (Getty Images) “It’s not going to be a case as soon as the game finishes, you’re going to go straight to bed and when you hit the pillow you’re straight to sleep,” Dr Chalmers said. “No, you’ll need time to wind down from the excitement or the commiserations.” The BBC said it will offer “stay up or catch up” coverage of the game, with the match broadcast live on BBC One and on BBC Radio 5Live. There will also be a full re-run on BBC Two at 7.10am, as well as an extended 15-minute highlights programme on BBC iPlayer, at bbc.co.uk/nospoilers, and the BBC Sport Football YouTube channel. Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep expert and author of Tired But Wired, said supporters should try to minimise the impact of the stimulation they put themselves through watching the game late at night. “The other thing is to be realistic that you may not sleep so well that night, and if you can put the emphasis on resting rather than sleeping,” Dr Ramlakhan told PA. For those planning to stay up, Dr Chalmers suggested a power nap of 20 to 30 minutes – but warned against anything longer than that. “Any more than that, you risk going into the first cycle of sleep and you’ll just start falling into deeper sleep and you’ll wake up groggy,” Dr Chalmers said. “So you can have a power nap, maybe very late on in the afternoon. Usually the recommendation for having these power naps is before 4pm.” Fans with Monday morning commitments must weigh up staying awake for the match or prioritising sleep, alongside deciding where to watch the action (Steven Paston / PA)) Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith told Sky News on Thursday she planned to take a “disco nap” on Sunday afternoon and then stay up late to watch the match. Dr Ramlakhan said the disco nap is usually later in the day, but that she would instead recommend a 20-minute power nap at some point between 2-4pm on Sunday. “When you’re napping, you’re not trying to sleep,” Dr Ramlakhan said. “You’re putting the focus on rest. So you could be doing it sitting, you could be doing it on a noisy train. “Just closing your eyes for 20 minutes. Focusing on your breathing, you might listen to something to guide you through it.” Dr Chalmers said those who do stay up will not be able to catch up on lost sleep, but as it is a one-off it will not have a “detrimental impact” on fans’ health and wellbeing. Professor Charlie Pedlar, an expert in exercise science at St Mary’s University, recommended England fans “bank” sleep before the match. “The big trap for this match is if you’re watching at 1am, that’s right in the window where you’d expect to be sound asleep and get your deepest sleep,” Prof Pedlar said. “There’s no two ways about it, it’s counter-productive. “Basically, they (fans at home) need to find other opportunities to sleep, either by banking sleep beforehand – so trying to go to bed early the night before and the night before that, in order to try and get ahead of it and just rest around it.” He added: “Sleep loss is risky for health so people need to look after themselves.” Dr Chalmers said she would not recommend letting children, or even teenagers, stay up to watch the game. “I just wouldn’t encourage it because sleep is so important for their health and wellbeing and growing up,” Dr Chalmers said. Instead, she suggested making Sunday evening special. She said: “Make it a fun evening. Maybe have a football-themed supper. Make them feel part of the celebration.” On the morning after the game, Dr Ramlakhan said getting natural daylight in the morning can reset the circadian timer, helping wake people to feel more awake in the morning and sleep better at night.