Norway has been making efforts to adapt to the time difference before their first Women’s World Cup match against New Zealand on July 20.
They have been engaging in various activities such as training, solving crosswords, and playing board games as part of their strategy. Oslo, the capital of Norway, is 10 hours behind Auckland, where Hege Riise’s team has been working hard to adjust their sleep patterns after a long journey across the globe.
“It’s been both up and down but luckily it’s beginning to sort itself out,” defender Maren Mjeldetold reporters. “I haven’t experienced jet lag like it before, it makes you very tired.”
Having participated in her fourth World Cup, she is well-acquainted with traveling, and she and her team have been employing various strategies to overcome jet lag as swiftly as they can.
“We’ve been clever and tried to do things all day – we have trained, we have been sociable and sat as long as possible at meals, all to try to get into normal routines,” Mjelde said.
“Now I’m hearing more and more people say that they are getting into this time zone, so hopefully we’re all there soon.”
Norway will have a closed-door friendly match against Portugal before starting their tournament against the hosts. This match will help them determine if they have successfully adapted to the time difference.
“We play Portugal on Sunday and, based on our training today, which was very positive… there was good energy today, so Sunday should go well,” Mjelde said.
The support staff of the team claim that it typically takes around five to seven days to adapt to the time difference. Mjelde understands that what may be effective for one person may not be effective for everyone.
“It’s really very individual, how you tackle it. For my part, I’ve tried to stay awake as long as I can, especially the first few days. The closer you get to dinner time, around seven o’clock, you’re pretty tired,” Mjelde explained.
“It’s about trying to hang on, find things to do, play games or read a book or solve a crossword or that kind of thing. I feel it’s gone well, and I’m able to sleep longer into the mornings.”
According to Mjelde, there is a clear indication that her teammates are starting to adjust.
“People are coming later and later to breakfast, so that’s a positive thing,” she said.
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