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Sleep Difficulties in Swiss Elite Athletes
Albrecht P A Vorster1,2, Daniel Erlacher3, Daniel Birrer4
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital (Inselspital), University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 27, 2024
Summary
Many athletes suffer from poor sleep quality, impacting recovery and performance. This study reveals sleep deficits are linked to well-being and mental health issues in Swiss athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Sleep Medicine
- Psychology
Background:
- Sleep is crucial for athletic recovery and performance.
- A significant portion of athletes experience poor sleep quality.
- Data on sleep problems across diverse sports disciplines is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sleep health deficits in Swiss top athletes.
- To identify links between sleep problems, gender, sport type, and well-being.
- To understand the prevalence of specific high-risk sleep factors.
Main Methods:
- Reanalysis of a dataset of 1004 Swiss top athletes from 88 sports.
- Assessment of sleep duration, satisfaction, and sleep-onset/maintenance difficulties.
- Evaluation of sleeping pill usage and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety).
Main Results:
- 18% of athletes reported at least two high-risk sleep factors.
- Prevalence of specific issues: <6h sleep (9%), sleep dissatisfaction (30%), trouble falling asleep (17%), difficulty maintaining sleep (18%), sleeping pill use (6%).
- Sleep health was strongly associated with overall well-being and mental health (22% had moderate depression/anxiety symptoms).
Conclusions:
- Sleep disorders are prevalent among elite athletes and linked to mental health.
- Addressing sleep issues may improve athlete well-being and performance.
- Targeted screening and treatment of sleep disorders are recommended for athletes globally.
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