P029 Understanding sleep behaviour in esports and predictors of sleep quality

Abstract Introduction Competitive video gaming (esports) often involves cognitively demanding and irregular late-night routines that may compromise sleep health and daytime functioning. This two-part study aimed to identify behavioural and sleep-based predictors of perceived sleep quality in esports players using both subjective and objective measures. Methods Study 1 used a cross-sectional online questionnaire (n = 243; 81% male; mean age = 21.3 ± 4.0 years) to assess self-reported sleep behaviour and esports activity. Study 2 employed wrist-worn actigraphy and sleep diaries collected over approximately seven consecutive nights in a subsample of male esports players (n = 23; mean age = 21.3 ± 3.5 years). Results In Study 1, participants reported an average of 7.2 hours of sleep per night, with 45% experiencing poor sleep quality. Regression analyses identified younger age, evening chronotype, and greater daytime sleepiness as significant predictors. Longer weekday gameplay duration predicted poorer sleep quality among casual players (independent-ranked) but not among competitive players (team-based) participating in organised leagues, suggesting that structured routines may mitigate gameplay-related sleep disruption. In Study 2, participants averaged 6.7 hours of sleep per night with moderate daily intraindividual variability in sleep timing (IIV = 1.2 ± 0.4 hours). Multilevel modelling indicated that increased nightly total sleep, improved sleep hygiene, later habitual bedtimes, and earlier wake times each significantly predicted better sleep quality. Discussion These cumulative findings highlight the restorative value of regular and continuous sleep, combined with effective sleep hygiene practices, which may help optimise performance and recovery in competitive environments such as esports.