Is Sleep the New Performance Enhancing Drug?

Despite growing evidence that adequate sleep improves well-being and performance among athletes, sports environments are not conducive to obtaining appropriate sleep and sleep is often neglected due to competition demands (Kroshus et al., 2109). Many athletes fail to practice good sleep habits, obtain optimal sleep, and accurately self-assess their sleep.

Sleep is essential for physical, cognitive, and emotional health; performance and competitive success; and illness and injury prevention (Kroshus, et al., 2019). So much so that athletes who experience sleep difficulties can experience detrimental effects on performance, increased risk for injury and illness, delayed recovery time, and higher rates of psychological distress. Research has demonstrated that sleep exertion as a standalone intervention has improved sports-specific performance variables (e.g., tennis serve accuracy, basketball free-throw percentage; Schwartz & Simon, 2015; Mah et al., 2011).

Athletes experience unique risk factors for sleep difficulties, including anxiety and worry about sport performance, traumatic brain injuries, and sports lifestyle factors. Research has identified the three primary risk factors for athletes' sleep concerns as training, travel, and competition (Gupta et al., 2017). Team-sport athletes may be particularly at-risk for sleep concerns. Thus, accurately assessing sleep among athletes, providing comprehensive education on sleep, and tailoring individualized and environmental interventions for sleep promotion are relevant for athletic populations.

Source: Courtesy of Sports Performance Bulletin

Sleep Screenings

The NCAA Mental Health Best Practices and NCAA Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness recommend that all collegiate athletes be screened for sleep concerns, though the importance of sleep screening extends to athletes of all ages and levels. Screening sleep during preparticipation examinations and conducting annual time demands surveys would better equip sports organizations with understanding the current state of sleep health of their athletes. In addition to self-report screenings, objective assessments of sleep, such as wearable devices (e.g., Oura Ring), have become increasingly popular in athletic settings.

Comprehensive Sleep Education

The NCAA Mental Health Best Practices also recommends that all collegiate athletes be provided with psychoeducation on sleep concerns (NCAA, 2024), though even earlier exposure to comprehensive education about sleep and its impacts on both well-being and performance is warranted. Topics of relevance to athletes include the adverse impact of evening screen and substance use on sleep, as well as the positive impacts of sleep on athletic performance.

Source: Courtesy of Australian Paralympic Committee/Australian Sports Commission

Individualized Sleep Interventions

Individualized interventions for sleep should be informed by assessments of individuals athletes’ sleep patterns. This may include promoting behavioral changes (e.g., evening relaxation, reducing caffeine intake) and promoting sleep aids (e.g., alarm clocks, bluelight glasses, sleep masks). However, athletes with more severe sleep concerns (e.g., insomnia) may be recommended for evidence-based pharmacological (e.g., Melatonin) and/or non-pharmacological sleep interventions (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia).

Environmental Sleep Interventions

Environmental interventions should aim to mitigate risk factors for sleep disturbance that are often inherent to athletic environments, such as training schedules and travel. Generally, environmental interventions should take into the physical activity, schedule and travel, and unique worries and anxieties that athletes may have around sleep and performance. Subsequent, programmatic adjustments of practice/travel schedules that allow for more opportunity for sleep on any given night are recommended to minimize risk factors for sleep disturbance.