The Impact of Sleep Interventions on Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of intervention studies
PubMed 37462808 · doi:10.1186/s40798-023-00599-z
What was done
A systematic review conducted according to PRISMA guidelines searched PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science up to May 2022. Studies were included if they investigated individual or team sport athletes, implemented an intervention aimed at improving sleep, measured at least one objective performance or recovery outcome, and reported the relationship between sleep and performance.
What was found
Twenty-five intervention studies published between 2011 and 2021 met the inclusion criteria. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes, test statistics, or confidence intervals. Narratively, sleep extension and daytime naps were found to be the most consistent and effective strategies for improving sleep and subsequent physical and/or cognitive performance. Mindfulness and light manipulation showed promising results in preliminary studies, whereas sleep hygiene education, evening electronic device removal, and cold water immersion had no observed effects based on a small number of studies.
Why it matters
This review suggests that directly increasing total sleep duration via nighttime sleep extension or daytime napping is more effective for athletic performance than isolated sleep hygiene or device restriction strategies.
Limits
The abstract reports no quantitative meta-analysis or pooled numerical effect estimates. The authors explicitly note a limited amount of high-quality evidence, several intervention types were tested in only a few studies, and the total participant sample size across studies is not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Extending sleep to 9 to 10 hours in young adult athletes who normally sleep 6 to 7 hours improves their speed, strength, and mental sharpness.