LAUSR

Recent studies have shown that sleep difficulties are highly prevalent in professional and elite athletes. Unfamiliar sleeping environments when travelling, high training loads, early morning training, competitive anxiety, etc., have been mentioned as contributing factors for sleep disturbances in athletes. In addition to being susceptible to these elements, young athletes also experience changes in sleep during adolescence. However, very little is known about the sleep of this population and whether it differs from that of young adult athletes. This was the aim of the present study. 211 young elite athletes (M=14.9±1.6 years old; 60.4% females) completed online versions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and a modified STOP-BANG questionnaire. Summary independent T-tests were computed to compare our results to those of study samples of young adult elite athletes (M=19.6 ± 1.5 years old; 39.47% females) on the PSQI and ISI. Additional analyses were done to investigate differences in subgroups in the young elite athletes using t-tests and chi-squares on all measures. There was no difference between adolescents and young adult athletes for the PSQI (t(837)=-1.50, p=.30), and ISI (t(355)=.287, p=.774). Results also showed that, among young athletes, female athletes showed higher PSQI (t(201)= 3.65; p<.001) and ISI scores (t(206)=-2.27, p=.024) than males, suggesting more sleep disturbances. On the other hand, male athletes as well as team sports athletes and contact sport athletes were more at risk for obstructive sleep apneas (χ2(2,N=207)=73.25, p<.001; χ2(2,N=210)=6.08, p=.048; χ2(2,N=210)=14.35, p=.001, respectively). Finally, athletes with ADHD showed higher PSQI (t(203)=4.83; p<.001) and ISI scores (t(209)=2.89, p=.004), and more risk of sleep apnea than athletes without ADHD (χ2 (2, N=207)=73.25, p<.001). This study shows that young adolescent athletes have the same level of sleep disturbances as young adult elite athletes. These results are very concerning because they show that from a young age, athletes are experiencing significant sleep difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of promoting early intervention with athletes who become involved at an elite level at a very young age. n/a