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Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

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Published on: August 8, 2019

Sleep and Performance in Professional Athletes.

Jesse D Cook^1,2, Jonathan Charest^3,4,5

¹Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA.

Current Sleep Medicine Reports

|January 23, 2023

Summary

Professional athletes need quality sleep for optimal training, recovery, and performance. This review synthesizes recent research on sleep

Keywords:

Athletes Circadian Fatigue Health Performance Professionals Sleep Travel

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Area of Science:

Sports Science
Sleep Medicine
Human Performance

Background:

Sleep is fundamental for biopsychosocial development and overall health.
Athletic performance is significantly influenced by sleep quality and duration.
Awareness of sleep's importance in professional sports has grown substantially.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and synthesize literature on sleep and performance in professional athletes.
Focus on research published between 2018 and 2022.
Exclusion of nonprofessional high-level athletes and non-traditional sports.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of 38 articles.
Inclusion of studies focusing on sleep's role in training, injury prevention, recovery, performance, and mental health.
Analysis of common sleep problems and challenges faced by athletes.

Main Results:

Sleep is critical for professional athletes' training, recovery, performance, and mental health.
Athletes experience sleep disturbances due to training, travel, and competition demands.
Identified common sleep problems and disorders prevalent in professional sports.

Conclusions:

Professional athletes face unique sleep challenges impacting their health and performance.
Need for improved research methodologies and collaborations to advance sleep science in sports.
Development of individualized interventions is crucial for enhancing athlete sleep health.