Int J Sports Med
DOI: 10.1055/a-2421-9310
1
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan,
Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN46767)
,
Sara Bizzozero
1
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan,
Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN46767)
,
Jacopo A. Vitale
2
Schulthess Klinik, Zurich, Switzerland (Ringgold ID: RIN46767)
,
Elisa Tallini
3
Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Università
degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN30699)
,
Francesco Corazza
3
Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Università
degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN30699)
,
Antonio La Torre
3
Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Università
degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN30699)
,
Giuseppe Banfi
1
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan,
Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN46767)
4
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan,
Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN9304)
,
3
Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Università
degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN30699)
5
Department of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolic
Diseases, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy (Ringgold ID: RIN18985)
› Author Affiliations
Funding
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Abstract
The objective of the study was to assess chronotype, sleep hygiene, and sleep
characteristics of Italian athletes in order to identify differences among sport
disciplines (team- vs individual-sports), level of competition (Elite vs
Non-Elite) and sexes. Moreover, correlations between chronotype, sleep hygiene
and sleep quality were evaluated. Two hundred eighty Italian athletes
(Females:113; Males:167) participated in the study. They completed the
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) and the
MorningnessEveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Among the athletes, 66.4% were
intermediate-type, 21.8% were morning-type and 11.8% were evening-type. 55.4% of
the sample was classified as good sleeper (PSQI<5), while 16.1% had poor
sleep hygiene (SHI≥35). Females had higher total sleep time (p=0.022) than
males. Individual-sports showed more morning-oriented score (p=0.001) and lower
PSQI (p=0.006) and SHI (p<0.001) scores, with earlier timing of sleep
(bedtime:p<0.001; wake-up time:p<0.001) compared to teamsports. Elite
athletes exhibited greater sleep efficiency (p=0.009), and lower sleep latency
(p=0.018) and wake after sleep onset (p=0.043) than Non-Elite athletes.
Additionally, significant correlations were found between PSQI and SHI (r=0.43,
p<0.001), and between MEQ and SHI (r=−0.35, p<0.001). This study yields
crucial insights into the sleep behaviors of Italian athletes, revealing that
nearly half of the sample were bad sleepers.
Keywords
Sleep -
Athlete -
Chronotype -
Sport -
sexes
Publication History
Received: 24 June 2024
Accepted after revision: 16 September 2024
Article published online:
22 October 2024
© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany
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