Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Sleep regularity in athletes: evidence remains sparse
This review maps how consistency of sleep timing relates to sleep, performance and well-being in athletes.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Scoping review
- Journal
- Behavioral Sleep Medicine
- Population / context
- Athletes · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
Ten studies met inclusion criteria: six assessed other sleep outcomes, three performance and three well-being. The small evidence base produced limited and inconsistent associations.
Limits and interpretation
Measures of regularity and outcomes varied, several domains had only a few studies and causal intervention evidence was lacking. Regular timing cannot yet be treated as a stand-alone performance prescription.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Does Sleep Regularity Impact Other Sleep Variables, Performance and Wellbeing in Athletes? A Scoping Review and Future Research Directions
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42563357DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2026.2715423Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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