Sleep Scientists Excited to Study Results of This Week's 49ers-Rams Game in Australia

The NFL's highly-anticipated season opener between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday has sleep scientists stoked to study how the two teams drastically different approaches to travel and acclimation play out.

The appeal comes from the massive variance in how each team is handling the toll of international travel coupled with the substantial time difference. While the 49ers chose to fly into Melbourne a full week early, the Rams plan to fly in the night before the game.

As the Chronicle reports, the contrast offers a unique opportunity for sleep scientists to observe a real-world experiment.

Speaking with the outlet, star 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey detailed the numerous precautions and efforts made by team staff to keep players feeling fresh despite traveling nearly 8,000 miles by air.

“I can’t imagine being more detailed than what they gave us,” McCaffrey said ahead of Monday’s practice. “There were big packets on the plane, (with) different supplements to take at different hours, different sleep suggestions, when to stay up during the day, when to go to bed. Any questions you had, they answered, so we’re really prepared."

Will it work? That's the answer sleep scientists like Stanford Sleep Institute adjunct professor Cheri D. Mah are eagerly awaiting.

“It is a fascinating situation that everyone is going to watch,” Mah told the Chronicle.

She also noted that, despite the seeming surface-level insanity of the Rams' plan, it could prove be the winning move.

“From a pure body clock standpoint," Mah said, "if the Rams stay on their home time zone, that will work to their advantage. What works against them is the short turnaround with a long flight. There’s going to be travel fatigue, dehydration, not great sleep. But there are pros and cons to both strategies.”

Speaking with press earlier this week, Rams head coach Sean McVay defended his decision to have his team spend as little time Down Under as possible, per Bleacher Report.

“Everything is geared toward what we think is best for players,” McVay said. “The thinking in its simplest form is what do we deem best for the players for them to try to be at their best."

One benefit to the 49ers' choice to arrive in town early: a very warm welcome from locals.

As SFist previously reported, the team has been making the most of their time in Melbourne ahead of their showdown with the Rams. The two teams square off at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, September 11 at 5:30 pm (local time).

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