Good Quality Sleep Improves Youth Athletic Performance

April 30, 2024

University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children'sExperts in Children's Health

A female soccer player doing the bicycle kick on a soccer match at a stadium

Sleep is a pillar of health, so it’s no surprise that young people who lack adequate sleep may suffer consequences. Not only will too little sleep affect mood and cognitive performance, it can also hamper athletic ability.

“If your sleep is irregular or too short, it affects your focus, your mood, your reaction times, how fast you can run,” says Carolyn levers-Landis, PhD, pediatric psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. “It impacts all the things that play a role in sports performance.”

The Science of Sleep

A variety of research links sleep with better sports performance. A study involving 12 varsity college tennis players, for example, found that increasing sleep by about two hours a night significantly improved their athletic performance.

Often considered an older person’s concern, sleep quality is a big issue among Dr. levers-Landis’ younger patients. “Most of my patients of all ages have experienced insomnia, and they’re concerned about how long it takes them to fall asleep and also about extended awakenings during the night.”

Daily Activity Helps with Sleep

Her advice for young athletes and parents is the same advice she has for all kids. “It’s circular, in that sleep makes your athletic performance better and if you get moderate to vigorous activity every day, it makes your sleep better,” says Dr. Ievers-Landis.

Daily, moderately vigorous physical activity – which gets the heart rate up – helps people fall asleep faster and sleep better. However, the timing of exercise may make a difference. Strenuous exercise close to bedtime can make it difficult for some people to fall asleep.

Sleep Requirements Aren’t One Size Fits All

Federal data shows that short sleep duration, defined as less than 8 hours over a 24-hour period, increased among high school students between 2009 and 2019. Eight in 10 students reported getting less than 8 hours of sleep.

Do all teens need 8 hours? Dr. levers-Landis says parents often fixate on their kids’ sleep hours, based on what they’ve read or been told. But sleep needs are variable, she says.

“People think teens need 8 or 9 hours and children need 10 hours, but the need for sleep is highly individualized,” she says.

“There are some kids who are fine with less sleep. It can be genetically influenced – their parents may be shorter sleepers, too. Certain cultural and ethnic groups are shorter sleepers. There’s really a bell curve with regard to the need for sleep.”

Help Your Young Athlete Figure It Out

No doubt many kids are burning the candle at both ends. But more sleep or earlier bedtimes is not the answer for all kids, says Dr. levers-Landis.

“That’s what the athlete needs to figure out. What is right for him or her? How much sleep do they need to do their best, and what is the timing of that sleep?”

People function better if they sleep according to their circadian rhythm, which varies widely. Rather than getting into conflict with teens about going to bed earlier, Dr. levers-Landis suggests parents help teens think through how their sleep can be improved so that they are mentally and physically at their best and can achieve their objectives.

In other words, sleep fits into a broader discussion about goals and responsibilities.

“Talk to teens about what is important to them and can they reasonably do it. Parents can help them figure out priorities, how to manage the priorities and not overwhelm themselves and make themselves miserable.”