The relationship between sleep and both mental and physical performance in athletes has become a key issue over the past several years. Sleep and Athletes: Physical Performance, Mental Performance, Injury Prevention, and Competitive Advantage for Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers aims to synthesize the growing scientific evidence in this area to help researchers, clinicians, and others interested in sport to understand the fundamentals of sleep health and how these factors relate to athletes. Serving as an important bridge between the sleep and athletics field, the book educates sleep professionals about how their field of expertise relates to various aspects of athletics, whilst educate sports professionals about the basics of sleep and how it relates to their field of expertise. This is accomplished by explaining some of the basics of sleep health; reviewing the literature on sleep disorders, treatments, risk factors for athletes; discussing ways that sleep health impacts physical and mental performance; and addressing key specific areas where these fields overlap. In all cases, this text will draw from the existing peer-reviewed literature, in order to provide evidence-based guidance that is objective and well-explained.


PART 1: Introduction to Sleep and Circadian Physiology and Behavior

1. Basics of Sleep-Wake Physiology for Athletes and Sport Professionals

2. Basics of Circadian Rhythms for Athletes and Sport Professionals

3. Basics of Sleep Problems and Sleep Disorders for Athletes and Sport Professionals

PART 2: Scope of the Problem

4. Sleep Problems in Athletes: Prevalence, and Causes

5. Assessment of Sleep in Athletes

6. Screening for Sleep Disorders in Athletes

PART 3: Physical and Mental Performance

7. Sleep and Physical Performance in Athletes

8. Sleep and Cognitive Performance in Athletes

9. Sleep and Mental Health in Athletes

10. Sleep and Recovery in Athletes

11. Sleep and Injury Prevention in Athletes

PART 4: Sleep and Circadian Strategies

12. Circadian Advantage

13. Strategic Napping

14. Sleep, Nutrition, and Supplements

15. Managing Travel and Jet Lag

PART 5: Developing a Sleep Health program

16. Sleep Health Promotion in Athletes

17. Schedule Planning for Athletes

18. Wearables, Sleep Tracking, and Assessment of Sleep in Athletics Programs

19. Developing a Sleep and Circadian Health Program

20. Resources and Further Reading