Sleep is essential for athletic performance, yet many factors in sports, such as competition schedules, travel, and training loads, can negatively impact sleep and recovery.
Understanding effective sleep strategies can help coaches and athletes optimize performance and recovery.
This systematic review aimed to synthesize the latest research on sleep interventions that improve sleep and performance in athletes.
Which sleep interventions are most effective in improving sleep quality, duration, and athletic performance?
Study: The Impact of Sleep Interventions on Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review
What did the researchers do?
- Researchers systematically reviewed 25 intervention studies published between 2011 and 2021.
- Studies focused on athletes across multiple sports and used interventions such as sleep hygiene, naps, sleep extension, light therapy, cold water immersion, and mindfulness.
- Studies were assessed for bias and quality using standardized risk-of-bias tools.
What were the results?
Most Effective Interventions
- Sleep extension (increasing total sleep time at night) improved physical and cognitive performance.
- Napping (20–90 min) restored performance after sleep restriction and enhanced cognitive function.
Promising but Inconclusive Interventions
- Sleep hygiene practices need to increase sleep quantity and quality to be effective.
- Mindfulness improved sleep quality and rowing performance, but more research is needed.
- Light therapy (red and bright light) influenced melatonin levels and sleep cycles but had mixed effects on performance.
Ineffective Interventions
- Cold water immersion did not significantly improve sleep or recovery markers.
Sleep Intervention for Athletes
The framework outlines a four-step approach:
- Sleep education to raise awareness
- Sleep monitoring for 7–14 days using validated tools
- Sleep intervention to apply targeted strategies
- Long-term monitoring to assess effectiveness.
What does this mean?
- Extending sleep at night or adding naps daily are the most effective strategies to enhance cognitive and physical performance.
- Naps can be particularly beneficial after sleep restriction or before training and competition.
- While mindfulness and light therapy may have potential, more research is needed to determine their effectiveness.
- Strategies like sleep hygiene and cold water immersion do not appear to impact performance and recovery meaningfully.
Coach's Takeaway
- Prioritize sleep extension → Aim for 9–10 hours of sleep for elite athletes, especially during high training loads.
- Use naps strategically → A 20–90 min nap can improve performance, particularly if athletes are sleep-deprived.
- Personalize sleep → educate athletes about personalized sleep strategies rather than relying on general sleep hygiene techniques.
