Sleep regularity and variability in wheelchair athletes: lockdown and return to sport

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 disrupted training routines and competitions, with unclear effects on the sleep of wheelchair athletes. AIM: To compare sleep in professional wheelchair basketball players during lockdown (remote training) and after the return to in-person sport. METHODS: Six players wore wrist actigraphy for 10 consecutive days at two time points: (1) lockdown and (2) ~2 months after return to sport. Daily sleep diaries and questionnaires were collected. Athletes showed good sleep quality in both periods (PSQI). RESULTS: Group differences were not statistically significant (n=6), but directionally consistent, within-subject effects emerged: (i) higher sleep latency on training days during lockdown and (ii) greater total sleep time on rest days during lockdown. Daytime sleepiness (ESS) tended to be higher in lockdown. INTERPRETATION: Despite stable perceived sleep quality, the return to organized training was associated with shorter sleep duration but lower sleepiness and reduced latency on training days, suggesting a shift toward more efficient, functionally restorative sleep with a structured routine.