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Rams Fly In Early to Curb Jet Lag

9/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The 49ers arrived a week early and held morning practices at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium for the 10:35 a.m. kickoff.
The Rams will fly in the day before the game to keep California sleep routines and limit jet lag.
Sleep experts said the early kickoff favors the Rams but could cause sleep deprivation.
49ers staff provided players with detailed sleep-and-nutrition packets from medical consultants to aid adjustment.

History

Historical Context

After the NFL debuted its International Series with the New York Giants-Miami Dolphins game at Wembley in October 2007, in front of 81,176 fans, early-morning ET kickoffs (e.g., 9:30 a.m. in 2014) highlighted jet-lag risks and spurred teams to adopt nutrition and sleep protocols. Building on that experience, the league scheduled its first Australian regular-season contest for 2026, naming the Los Angeles Rams the home team at Melbourne’s MCG.

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Story summary

The 49ers arrived a week early and held morning practices at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium for the 10:35 a.m. kickoff.
The Rams will fly in the day before the game to keep California sleep routines and limit jet lag.
Sleep experts said the early kickoff favors the Rams but could cause sleep deprivation.
49ers staff provided players with detailed sleep-and-nutrition packets from medical consultants to aid adjustment.

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