It’s the secret influence on how the game is played – and it’s hiding in plain sight
Of all the many theories and post-episode analysis that follows every episode of The Traitors, not much is said about the role sleep and recovery play on the show.
Yet long days of filming (some reports suggest they can stretch to 18 hours), the physical demands of lugging statues and wooden horses around Scotland, emotionally charged round-tables and anxious nights in hotel beds all take their toll.
The side-effects of this level of strain without adequate recovery time might explain some of the rash decision-making and blow-ups that have been a feature of this series.
Judging by what previous contestants have said, by this, the final week, the contestants are running on empty – just when they need their A-game.
“At the start of The Traitors, I would remind myself why I’m here every three or four days,” said series two winner and Traitors all-star, Harry Clark.” By the end, I was reminding myself every five minutes why I’m here because it got so hard. Because we would never sleep.”
Traitor or Faithful: Who Sleeps Better?
The faithful are prone to telling us how valuable a shield is because it allows them a good night’s sleep, instead of spending the night stressing about getting murdered.
“It really is nerve-racking when you go to bed because you know that a decision has been made and you’re like, am I dead? Who knows,” Hannah Byczkowski, series 1 Faithful and eventual winner, told Entertainment Daily. “You are just absolutely exhausted but it’s so nerve-wracking to think: am I out of the game?”
Faithfuls also like to push the idea that, conversely, the Traitors sleep much more soundly in their beds, given they control the narrative.
Evidence suggests this widely accepted theory could be way off the mark.
How Sleep Affects Judgement
Traitors have to endure the longest days given they need to film the turret scenes while the faithful are tucked up in their beds (not in Ardross Castle itself but reportedly in a hotel near Inverness).
They also have the most emotional stress from having to live a double life; scheming, remembering what lies they’ve told to whom and planning their strategy for tomorrow.
Even Jonathan Ross, a natural fit to wear the cloak in Celebrity Traitors said “it took its toll” and was “a much harder psychological challenge than I expected.”
Stephen Fry was one of the few to theorise that visible tiredness or yawning could be interpreted as a clue to a Traitor’s heavier overnight workload. An interesting theory but very hard to act on in practice.
Clark said that part of his strategy was to mask his tiredness so he didn’t stand out – which became a performance challenge in itself. “So you just had to pretend you’re as tired as everyone else, but not more tired,” he said.
Recovery: The Performance Fundamental
It points to just how big an impact recovery at night affects performance in the day – our focus, energy, resilience and clarity of judgment to name a few.
How individual players manage this forgotten factor ultimately has a big bearing on who gets banished, trusted or murdered.
While it might not help the faithfuls spot a traitor, remembering this should at least make us – the viewers – respect the performance of the Traitors even more.
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