Journal article
Changes in Subjective Sleep Quality Before a Competition and Their Relation to Competitive Anxiety.
- Ehrlenspiel F a Department of Sport and Health Sciences , Technische Universität München , München , Germany.
- Erlacher D b Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland.
- Ziegler M c Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Berlin , Germany.
- 2016-12-10
Published in:
- Behavioral sleep medicine. - 2018
English
OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of competitions on subjective sleep quality. Previous studies have been inconclusive and lack differentiated and standardized measurements of subjective sleep quality. Furthermore the temporal relation between precompetitive anxiety and sleep quality was investigated. Anxiety and nervousness associated with competitions are considered to cause sleep impairments.
PARTICIPANTS
A convenience sample of N = 79 elite male athletes from various sports participated.
METHODS
In a time-to-event paradigm, sleep quality and competitive anxiety were assessed via standardized self-report measurements 4 days before a competition and on the day of the competition. Univariate analyses were used to examine differences between time points. To examine cross-lagged effects between anxiety and sleep quality a latent change score model (LCSM) was specified that tested an effect of anxiety on changes in sleep quality.
RESULTS
Evaluations of nocturnal sleep deteriorated significantly from 4 days before competition to the day of competition, but there were no differences regarding perceptions of the restorative value of sleep. LCSM revealed that athletes who reported more intense worry symptoms 4 days before competition also reported greater deterioration in evaluations of nocturnal sleep.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings support earlier reports of impaired subjective sleep quality before competitions. Precompetitive sleep impairments appear also to be preceded by cognitive anxiety. Whereas interventions should thus address worry-cognitions associated with competition and sleep, research should address the practical importance of these perceptions of sleep impairments.
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of competitions on subjective sleep quality. Previous studies have been inconclusive and lack differentiated and standardized measurements of subjective sleep quality. Furthermore the temporal relation between precompetitive anxiety and sleep quality was investigated. Anxiety and nervousness associated with competitions are considered to cause sleep impairments.
PARTICIPANTS
A convenience sample of N = 79 elite male athletes from various sports participated.
METHODS
In a time-to-event paradigm, sleep quality and competitive anxiety were assessed via standardized self-report measurements 4 days before a competition and on the day of the competition. Univariate analyses were used to examine differences between time points. To examine cross-lagged effects between anxiety and sleep quality a latent change score model (LCSM) was specified that tested an effect of anxiety on changes in sleep quality.
RESULTS
Evaluations of nocturnal sleep deteriorated significantly from 4 days before competition to the day of competition, but there were no differences regarding perceptions of the restorative value of sleep. LCSM revealed that athletes who reported more intense worry symptoms 4 days before competition also reported greater deterioration in evaluations of nocturnal sleep.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings support earlier reports of impaired subjective sleep quality before competitions. Precompetitive sleep impairments appear also to be preceded by cognitive anxiety. Whereas interventions should thus address worry-cognitions associated with competition and sleep, research should address the practical importance of these perceptions of sleep impairments.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- closed
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1080/15402002.2016.1253012
- PMID 27935323
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/239521
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