Uncovering Sleep Behaviour in Women's Football: What Evidence Do We Have?

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Sleep Science
• Female Athlete Health

Background:

• Sleep is crucial for performance and well-being, but female football players face unique sleep challenges.
• Ovarian hormones (estrogen, progesterone) influence sleep regulation, with potential impacts during the menstrual cycle.
• Existing research on sleep in female athletes is limited, often extrapolated from male athlete studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the challenges female football players face regarding sleep.
• To discuss potential interventions and strategies to support sleep in this population.
• To provide specific recommendations for assessing and improving sleep in female footballers.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on sleep in female athletes, particularly football players.
• Analysis of factors affecting sleep, including menstrual cycle, travel, and lifestyle.
• Synthesis of current evidence to propose practical recommendations and interventions.

Main Results:

• Female athletes may report poor subjective sleep quality, even with objectively good sleep, especially around menstruation.
• Factors like travel, caffeine, light exposure, and menstrual cycle symptoms disrupt sleep.
• Specific interventions are needed to manage menstrual cycle symptoms and other sleep disruptors.

Conclusions:

• Female football players encounter unique sleep challenges that impact performance and health.
• Targeted strategies for sleep assessment and intervention are necessary.
• Support from coaches and sport science professionals can optimize sleep, performance, and overall well-being.