What I learned!

A good night’s sleep is something I’ll never take for granted. Missing just one night can throw me completely out of my rhythm. While I can usually manage that for a day or two, I’ve learned that there’s nothing more valuable than quality sleep before a morning CO₂ table.

Before my first hold, I tried to focus on everything that was in my favor. I had slept, I was warm, I was in a safe environment, and I didn’t have the usual stress of office work. But despite all of that, my mind kept returning to what had happened during the night.

At around 3:30 a.m., I woke up to strange noises outside. Looking into the garden, I saw five unfamiliar men carrying furniture. For a brief moment, I had no idea what was happening, and my heart immediately started racing. It turned out that my neighbours had simply decided to move out in the middle of the night, carrying their belongings past our bedroom window in an otherwise very quiet apartment building.

Even though I knew everything was fine afterwards, that feeling of alertness stayed with me longer than I expected. Today’s session reminded me that freediving isn’t just about training the body—it’s also about understanding how everyday experiences, stress, and even one interrupted night of sleep can influence the mind long before the first breath hold begins.