Live Betting Ruined My Relationship (With Sleep)

I used to sleep. I used to sleep like a normal person. Eight hours, maybe seven on a weekday. I'd fall asleep watching something boring, wake up refreshed, drink my coffee, go to work. Normal stuff.

Then I discovered live betting.

For those who don't know, live betting is the practice of placing bets during a game as the odds shift in real-time. The line moves after every play. Every possession. Every timeout. It's like the stock market, except you're betting on whether a 22-year-old quarterback can complete a third-down pass while my rent money hangs in the balance.

I haven't slept through the night since 2023.

The Schedule

Here's what a typical week looks like for me:

Why Live Betting Is Different

With regular betting, you place your bets, the game starts, and there's nothing you can do. You watch and hope. It's out of your hands. You could, theoretically, go to sleep.

With live betting, every moment is an opportunity. Did the opposing team score? The line moved. Bet the other side now. Did your team go three-and-out? New opportunities. The quarterback limping? Injury market is live. The over/under adjusting in real-time as points are scored? Money to be made or lost every second.

How could I sleep when money is moving?

"Sleep is just death practice anyway." - Something I tell myself at 3 AM while betting on a cricket match I don't understand

The International Problem

Live betting has no borders. And neither does my insomnia.

I once stayed up for 38 consecutive hours because there was an overlapping schedule of NFL playoffs, Australian Open tennis, and some obscure darts tournament. I made $180. I also temporarily lost the ability to form sentences.

The Symptoms

My doctor says I have "chronic sleep deprivation." I told her I prefer to call it "maximizing betting windows." She was not amused.

Here are the symptoms I've noticed:

- I fall asleep during meetings at work (but never during games)
- My eye twitches permanently now
- I drink 6-8 cups of coffee per day
- I sometimes forget what I did yesterday but remember every live bet I placed
- I've started seeing betting lines in my dreams
- When I do sleep, I dream about missed live betting opportunities
- I've gained 15 pounds because tired people eat badly
- My reaction time has decreased to the point where I shouldn't be driving

The Alarms

I have 23 recurring alarms on my phone. Not to wake up for work. To wake up for betting opportunities.

- 5:00 AM: "KBO first pitch"
- 5:30 AM: "KBO third inning live lines"
- 6:00 AM: "NPB first pitch"
- 7:25 AM: "Premier League early kick"
- 9:00 AM: "Bundesliga"
- 9:25 AM: "Premier League late kick"
- [continues for 17 more alarms]

My girlfriend left partly because of the alarms. She said she "couldn't live with someone whose phone goes off every 45 minutes all night." I said the alarms were important. She said her sanity was also important. We disagreed on priorities.

The Monday Night Problem

Monday Night Football ends around 11:30 PM Eastern. That's fine. Except I need to stay up to settle my bets emotionally. Then I need to review the box score. Then I need to check the lines for next week. Then I need to see what the Tuesday bets look like. Then it's 2 AM. Then my alarm for Australian rugby goes off at 3 AM. Then it's Tuesday and I'm operating on 90 minutes of sleep.

I've called in "sick" to work 14 times in the past year. I wasn't sick. I was too tired from betting on international handball at 4 AM. My boss thinks I have a chronic illness. I do. It's called "live betting addiction" but I haven't told her that.

The Nap Economy

I've become a tactical napper. I've mapped out every possible nap window:

- 2 PM - 3:30 PM: No major games. 90-minute nap possible.
- 6 PM - 7 PM: Before primetime. Power nap.
- 11 AM - noon: Between morning and afternoon games. 45 minutes.
- In my car during lunch: 20 minutes. Risky but necessary.

I once fell asleep at a restaurant because there was a gap in the betting schedule. The waiter asked if I was okay. I said I was "conserving energy." He brought the check immediately.

The Wake-Up Calls (Literally)

I've missed:

- 3 flights (fell asleep in the terminal watching Champions League)
- 2 job interviews (stayed up too late betting on Australian football)
- My sister's wedding rehearsal (I... actually have no excuse for this one)
- Countless social events (too tired from the night before's bets)

Am I Going to Stop?

No.

I mean, I should. Every medical professional I've consulted has said I should. My sleep tracker app sends me daily notifications that are increasingly aggressive ("Your average sleep this month is 4.1 hours. This is dangerous."). My therapist has used the word "intervention" more than once.

But here's the thing: live betting is exciting in a way that regular betting isn't. The rush of catching a line shift before it moves. The satisfaction of live betting the under and watching the score stay low. The agony of missing a perfect opportunity because I was asleep.

I can't miss opportunities. What if I'm asleep when the perfect line appears? What if I could have made hundreds but I was being irresponsible and getting "rest"?

Sleep is for people who don't understand value.

Advice for Others

If you're thinking about getting into live betting, here's my advice:

1. Don't.
2. But if you do, set a "sleep curfew" and stick to it.
3. I have never stuck to mine.
4. Maybe you'll be different.
5. You won't be different.
6. We are all the same.
7. None of us sleep.

It's currently 3:47 AM and there's a table tennis match in China I need to check on. The over looks good.

Goodnight. Or good morning. I genuinely don't know what time it is anymore.