Poor sleep quality and quantity in water polo players and coaches: a worldwide survey

Abstract

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of recovery; however, insufficient sleep has been described in elite athletes. The objective of the present study was to investigate sleep quality and quantity in water polo (WP) players and coaches worldwide. In all, 231 WP players (male: n = 112; female: n = 119) and 76 coaches (male: n = 70; female: n = 6) representing all continents around the world and all levels of competition, completed a freely accessible online survey. This was divided into two sections: sociodemographic data (8 questions), and sleep quality and disorders (10 questions). Based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) results, 74% of the players and 63.2% of the coaches suffer from a clinically significant sleep disorder. Regarding players, 44.6% deserve medical attention, 28.6% deserve medical attention and medical treatment, and 0.9% have serious sleep problems. In coaches, 36.8% deserve medical attention, 25% deserve medical attention and medical treatment, and 1.3% have serious sleep problems. Players had higher sleep latency (p < 0.01), daytime dysfunction (p < 0.001), and shorter sleep duration (p < 0.01) than coaches; female players had higher sleep latency and daytime dysfunction (p < 0.05) than male players; and amateur male players had shorter sleep duration (p < 0.01) than elite players. These findings reveal deficiencies in sleep quality and quantity in WP worldwide; therefore, WP training staff should seek strategies to improve their sleep hygiene.