The issue is simple: tournament football does not care about bedtime.
For many fans, one late night is manageable. A run of them is different. Sleep debt builds quickly, and football supporters are often tempted to patch it over with caffeine, takeaway food and more alcohol than usual.
A tense international match is not passive entertainment. Heart rate rises. Blood pressure can climb. Stress hormones stay elevated. The report says that combination can be more serious for supporters with existing health concerns, particularly when sleep deprivation is added on top.
That matters because tournament football rarely unfolds calmly. Penalty shootouts, stoppage-time swings and national expectation all stretch the body as much as the nerves. Lack of sleep can also affect concentration, mood and recovery, making the next working day feel as difficult as the match itself.
The sensible message is not to skip the football. It is to pace it.
As the World Cup approaches, the football story will be about squads, form and selection. For fans at home, though, one subplot is already clear: surviving the schedule may be almost as important as surviving the group stage.