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Sleep: A Game Changer for Youth Athlete Wellbeing
Tanisha Tate1, Luana C Main2, Spencer Roberts1
1Centre for Sport Research, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
Sports Health
|July 8, 2025
Summary
Most young athletes sleep less than recommended, impacting their mental health. Prioritizing sufficient sleep duration and quality is crucial for adolescent athlete wellbeing and recovery.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Sleep Science
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Youth athletes often experience insufficient sleep opportunities.
- Poor mental health and wellbeing are frequently reported by young athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sleep duration, quality, and wellbeing in adolescent athletes.
- To determine if insufficient sleep is associated with reduced wellbeing in this population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study involving 98 youth athletes (mean age 15.19 years) over 8 weeks.
- Sleep was monitored using actigraphy, and wellbeing was assessed weekly via the Multicomponent Training Distress Scale (MTDS) and Short Recovery Stress Scale (SRSS).
Main Results:
- Adolescent athletes averaged 7.0 hours of sleep, falling short of the recommended ≥8 hours on over 80% of nights.
- Total sleep time negatively correlated with MTDS and SRSS stress and wellbeing scores.
- Poor subjective sleep quality and increased fatigue were associated with higher distress and lower recovery.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of adolescent athletes do not meet sleep recommendations.
- Inadequate sleep duration and quality are linked to poorer self-reported wellbeing in youth athletes.
- Educational interventions should highlight the importance of adequate and regular sleep patterns for athlete wellbeing.
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