Sleep Health of Athletes of Different Sports: Translation and Validation of the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire to Portuguese

This study aimed to translate and validate the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) into Portuguese and assess the sleep health of athletes using the ASSQ. Translation followed established scientific guidelines. A sample of 246 Portuguese athletes from various sports completed the ASSQ, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (r-MEQ). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported two factors for the Sleep Difficulty Score (SDS) and chronotype subscales. Model fit indices indicated excellent fit for SDS and chronotype. Internal consistency was acceptable for SDS (α = 0.58) and chronotype (α = 0.54). Mean SDS was 5.7, and 22% of the sample were found to have sleep problems. Specifically, 16% were classified with moderate sleep problems and 6% with severe sleep problems. No significant differences in SDS categories were found across sex, sports type, sports environment, competitive level or age group. Travel-related sleep disturbances were reported by 20% of athletes, and 11% experienced performance issues after travelling. Chronotype differed by sports type, sports environment, competitive level and age group, but not by SDS categories. Additionally, morning chronotypes reported more travel-related sleep disturbances (p = 0.045). The Portuguese ASSQ showed strong validity and acceptable reliability. Cohort analysis revealed that a substantial proportion of Portuguese athletes reported having sleep problems and some would benefit from specific interventions intended to improve sleep.