Sleep and Mental Health in Athletes

Purpose of Review: Mental health and sleep disorder symptoms are prevalent in athlete populations, and athletes face unique challenges (e.g., competition pressures and travel demands) that may exacerbate their sleep disorders and symptoms. This review aimed to synthesize the recent literature examining specific sleep and mental health domains in athletes across age, sport, and professional levels. Recent Findings: Athletes commonly experience disturbed sleep, which is related to poorer mental health. Recent literature shows that worse sleep is associated with more depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in athletes. Sleep disorders and symptoms have been linked to burnout and mood disturbances, with sleep duration and insomnia symptoms specifically linked with suicidal ideation, stress, and burnout. Summary: Sleep and mental health of athletes have gained increased clinical and empirical attention, but common limitations across studies (e.g., reliance on cross-sectional data, inconsistent assessment, and definitions of sleep variables) make synthesis difficult. More research is warranted with more precise measurement of heterogenous sleep facets (e.g., duration, timing, and specific disorder symptoms).