Effects of a Sleep Hygiene Intervention Period on the Internal and External, Inter- and Intra-match Demands of Male University-Level Soccer Players During a Tournament

Prevoo, M, Broodryk, A, and Kramer, M. Effects of a sleep hygiene intervention period on the internal and external, inter- and intra-match demands of male university-level soccer players during a tournament. J Strength Cond Res 39(6): e798-e805, 2025-Soccer is a physiologically and psychologically demanding sport, requiring players to optimize their sleep to enhance their recovery and ensure optimal performance during a match. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of a sleep hygiene intervention period (SHP) on the internal and external match demands during an 8-match tournament. Sixteen male university-level soccer players' (average age: 22.2 ± 3 years; stature: 167.6 ± 6.4 cm; mass: 62 ± 6.6 kg) movement patterns, heart rate, RPE, and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI) were compared over an intervention period consisting of 2 matches (no-sleep hygiene period: no-SHP), 4 matches (sleep-hygiene period-SHP, adhering to 10 SHP principles over 4 weeks), and again 2 matches of no-SHP. A significantly improved global PSQI score ( p = 0.03), sleep latency ( p = 0.05), and sleep hours ( p = 0.004) were seen following the SHP. Comparing the match halves of the no-SHP and SHP, significant differences were found for total distance ( p < 0.001), distances completed while jogging ( p < 0.001), running ( p < 0.001), and sprinting ( p = 0.03), as well as distances covered in the medium ( p = 0.05) and high-velocity ( p < 0.001) zones, and low ( p < 0.001) and medium ( p < 0.001) decelerative zones and for all accelerative zones ( p < 0.001). Participants were able to surpass their work rates after the SHP with no RPE increases observed, hence demonstrating the usefulness of putting organized sleep into practice. Therefore, it is recommended that players and coaching staff implement sleep hygiene guidelines more regularly, as it may result in noteworthy performance improvements.