The Association Between Sleep and In-Game Performance in Basketball Players

To investigate the associations between sleep and competitive performance in basketball.

A total of 7 semiprofessional, male players were monitored across the in-season. On nights prior to competition, sleep duration and quality were assessed using actigraphs and sleep diaries. The data were accumulated over 1 (night 1), 2 (nights 1-2 combined), 3 (nights 1-3 combined), and 4 (nights 1-4 combined) nights prior to competition. Performance was reported as player statistics (field goal and free-throw accuracy, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and turnovers) and composite performance statistics (offensive rating, defensive rating, and player efficiency). Linear regression analyses with cluster-robust standard errors using bootstrapping (1000 replications) were performed to quantify the association between sleep and performance.

The night before competition, subjective sleep quality was positively associated with offensive rating and player efficiency (P < .05).

Strategies to increase subjective sleep quality the night before competition should be considered to increase the likelihood of successful in-game performance, given its association with composite performance metrics.