Enhancing sleep in professional rugby players: observation and sleep interventions

Sleep is a crucial factor in recovery and must be integrated into athletes’ training plans for optimal performance and well-being. Although professional athletes are advised to sleep for at least 8 hours, many experience shorter sleep durations or poor sleep quality. Sleep interventions have been recently proposed to improve sleep, but their effects remain unclear. This ecological study aimed to evaluate the sleep of a rugby team and to assess the effects of sleep interventions, including sleep hygiene education and relaxation techniques. Thirty-six male professional rugby players were evaluated during two pre- and post-intervention match weeks using objective (actimetric) and subjective (questionnaires) assessments. At baseline, 34 on 36 athletes slept less than 8h per night. Combining both sleep dimensions, 61.1 % of players were considered poor sleepers. After sleep interventions, subjective sleep quality improved ( p = 0.001, η ² = 0.22), and athletes went to bed earlier (23:28 ± 00:42 vs. 23:43 ± 00:45 during pre-intervention; p = 0.01, η ² = 0.15). Positive effects of sleep interventions were especially observed among poor sleepers as their objective sleep quantity increased (405.2 min pre-intervention vs. 425.9 min post-intervention p = 0.004, η ² = 0.28). Sleep interventions, composed of theoretical and practical sessions, improved sleep characteristics and might be implemented in athletes’ daily routine. This study offers a simple and accessible method to assess athletes’ sleep, while providing adapted recommendations to optimize or enhance sleep quality and quantity.