Did Picking a Hotel Near Train Tracks Hurt Romney's Chances in Tonight's Debate?

Tonight's debate is considered by many to be GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's biggest opportunity thus far to put the pressure on President Obama in the race. There is very little room for error in the highly anticipated battle of ideas, which will be viewed by millions of Americans.

The Romney campaign understands this all too well. That's why team Romney was reportedly sent into a panic when their nominee couldn't seem to sleep on Monday night.

A Romney aide told BuzzFeed that the GOP nominee got almost no shut-eye due to a freight train crossing located near the hotel where he was staying.

The lack of sleep had the campaign concerned, so much so that they talked about switching hotels but ultimately decided against it because of how it may look to the public.

BuzzFeed also points out that a Yelp review of the hotel mentions the noisy trains that go by the hotel, an apparent oversight by the Romney campaign.

BuzzFeed has more:

Campaign staffs carefully guard their candidates' sleep schedules. Tired candidates make mistakes: Barack Obama's campaign in 2008 kept him away from evening events for that reason, and the campaign this year of Texas Governor Rick Perry later blamed his off-kilter performances on undiagnosed sleep apnea.

A campaign spokesman declined to discuss Romney's sleep on the record. There's no indication that he was disturbed in his sleep Tuesday night, however.

So far, Romney doesn't look like he has lost a step in tonight's debate due to his restlessness. But the night is young.

This story has been updated.