For some, an unnecessarily wasted third of life that could be used more productively; for others, a much-desired rest after a demanding day. Whether we like it or not, sleep is a daily part of our lives. The truth remains that quality sleep has beneficial effects on our body, whether from the perspective of the immune system, proper brain function, or recovery after intense physical activity, which is especially important for professional athletes. Precisely for this reason, in recent years, sports medicine and science have begun to focus on monitoring the quality and quantity of athletes’ sleep with the aim of supporting their recovery, optimizing performance, and preventing fatigue-related injuries that can result from neglected sleep routines. In this blog article, we will take a closer look at the importance of quality sleep from the perspective of athletes.
The basic division of sleep consists of two main phases: NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
NREM sleep is further divided into three additional stages. The first stage is merely a transition between wakefulness and sleep, and if you were awakened during this phase, you would likely claim that you hadn’t slept at all. We usually spend most of our regular sleep in the second stage, which, among other things, stores and clears our memory and memories. Following that is the third stage, during which we spend approximately 5-15% of our total sleep time. This phase is usually the deepest stage of sleep, characterized by the slowest brain activity. The third stage is also considered the most important for muscle recovery, replenishing energy stores, and hormone balance — all factors essential for optimizing athletic performance.
After the third stage, we enter REM sleep, during which we experience our most vivid dreams. Our body typically remains still, and this phase is marked by sudden eye movements during sleep. Although these movements may seem unsettling, they are a completely normal part of our daily sleep cycle. An interesting fact about REM sleep is that brain activity during this phase is almost identical to that during wakefulness, although we spend no more than 120 minutes in REM sleep throughout the entire night.
After REM sleep, we return to the first stage, thereby completing one sleep cycle and gradually begin to progress through the various sleep stages again. One such cycle lasts on average 90–120 minutes, and during a single night, we undergo 4 to 5 of these cycles, depending, of course, on the total duration of sleep.
Athletes belong to groups of people whose sleep habits can be particularly disrupted, as travel, dehydration, body soreness after physical activity, and late training or game times lead to increased alertness—even several hours after activity—which negatively affects both the quality and quantity of sleep. Adding to that, in some cases, external factors such as psychological stress, time spent in front of screens, or even parenthood, make achieving optimal sleep far from easy for athletes. And since insufficient sleep subsequently negatively impacts concentration, training ability, overall recovery, and injury risk, athletes find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle, with poor-quality sleep as the common denominator.
That is precisely why various monitoring technologies are used in the sports environment to assess sleep quality and provide sports professionals with the opportunity to tailor training and recovery plans to the specific needs of athletes based on the collected data. When conducted over a long-term period, this monitoring can help identify and prevent sleep problems that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Among the most commonly used monitoring devices are smartwatches, wristbands, or rings, which can track sleep duration, time spent in each sleep stage, and overall sleep quality. The advantage of these devices lies in the large amount of detailed data they provide, offering a more accurate picture of an athlete’s behavior and habits. On the other hand, their disadvantages include often higher cost and a slight invasiveness, as athletes must wear them throughout the entire duration of their sleep.
In practice, implementing sleep monitoring in football teams has become a common practice in most of the top leagues and clubs. The most successful football clubs have started investing in devices that collect information about players’ sleep patterns, as well as in personnel who can interpret this data in relation to other factors such as performance tests, player nutrition, or stress levels. By building a comprehensive picture of each player’s sleep habits, we can provide personalized recommendations to improve sleep quality, thereby helping to enhance overall performance. In principle, it primarily involves ensuring an optimal environment for quality sleep, focusing especially on sleep duration, light, temperature, and noise levels in the room, as well as the quality of mattresses.
Marek Petrík, MSc.
Sources:
Charest, J., & Grandner, M. A. (2022). Sleep and athletic performance: impacts on physical performance, mental performance, injury risk and recovery, and mental health: an update. Sleep medicine clinics, 17(2), 263-282.
Şahin, Ö. İ., Açak, M., & Buyukcelebi, H. (2024). Evaluation of Sleep Behaviors in Male Football Players Participating in Youth Football Leagues. International Journal of Physical Education, Fitness and Sports, 13(3), 1-9.
Sanders, N., Randell, R. K., Thomas, C., Bailey, S. J., & Clifford, T. (2024). Sleep architecture of elite soccer players surrounding match days as measured by WHOOP straps. Chronobiology International, 41(4), 539-547.
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https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/do-sleep-trackers-really-work
