The Sleep Parameters of Paralympic Athletes: Characteristics and Assessment Instruments

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Sleep Science
• Paralympic Athletics

Background:

• Sleep is crucial for athletic performance, impacting learning, memory, recovery, and cognition.
• Understanding sleep patterns in Paralympic athletes is vital for optimizing their health and performance.

Approach:

• A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted, searching major databases up to September 2021.
• Included studies focused on sleep parameters (total sleep time, latency, efficiency, quality, daytime sleepiness, chronotype) in athletes with disabilities.
• Data from 13 selected studies were analyzed, assessing sleep using subjective and objective instruments.

Key Points:

• Paralympic athletes report low sleep duration (7.06 hours) and poor sleep quality.
• High prevalence of daytime sleepiness (57.2%) and prolonged sleep latency (28.05 minutes) were observed.
• The majority of athletes fall into the indifferent chronotype category (53.5%).

Conclusions:

• Sleep disorders are prevalent in Paralympic athletes, characterized by poor sleep quality, quantity, and significant daytime sleepiness.
• Subjective instruments like questionnaires are predominantly used for sleep assessment in this population.
• Further research may benefit from incorporating objective sleep monitoring tools.