Sleep in athletes: knowledge, beliefs and clinical practice among Brazilian sports physical therapists

Previous expert consensus states that sports professionals should assess athletes' sleep and Brazilian physical therapists (PTs) are now allowed to provide sleep care. However, basic knowledge and adequate beliefs about sleep-related concepts are required from Brazilian sports PTs. The aim of this study was to 1) describe the knowledge and beliefs of Brazilian sports PTs about sleep; 2) investigate how they assess sleep; and 3) investigate factors that may be associated with sleep knowledge, beliefs, and assessment.

Cross-sectional survey.

We recruited PTs who were active members of the Brazilian Board of Sports Physical Therapy Specialists. We collected data on their professional trajectories, knowledge and beliefs about sleep-related concepts, and how they assess sleep in athletes. We performed descriptive analyses and ran logistic regression models.

120 sports PTs were included. Most were male (68.0 %) and had an average of 13.7 ± 6.8 years of experience as a PT. Most reported knowing about sleep hygiene (78.3 %), jet lag (85.0 %), and chronotype (51.7 %). Nearly half had inadequate sleep beliefs (43.3 %), and reported never having received education about sleep (42.5 %). Most reported using non-validated tools to assess athletes' sleep (59.2 %), and only 23.3 % reported assessing sleep throughout the entire sports season. Having a graduate-level degree was associated with knowing about sleep hygiene (OR: 3.0; 95 % CI: 1.1, 8.4) and chronotype (OR: 2.6; 95 % CI: 1.1, 5.7).

Our findings can guide future implementation strategies to improve professional education. We recommend the incorporation of sleep-related concepts into physical therapy training to improve care for athletes.