Sleep

The role that sleep plays in the health of youth athletes goes far beyond physical health and development. Sleep is a restorative process that is critical for children's health and well-being and influences children's cognition, psychosocial health, adiposity, growth, and development. There is evidence that there are many benefits of sleep among youth athletes in particular, including improved mental health and well-being, lower risk of injury, lower incidence of illness, and improved performance. Unfortunately, athletes also experience a number of unique barriers to proper sleep, including competing academic, social and athletic demands, competition anxiety, travel, and early and late practice and competition times. Early identification of athletes with sleep impairments can facilitate intervention to improve well-being and performance, and potentially reduce the risk of injury.