Biol Sport. 2026;43:1083–1095
1. Halson SL. Sleep in Elite Athletes and Nutritional Interventions to Enhance Sleep. Sport Med. 2014; 44(S1):13–23.
2.
Carskadon MA. Sleep in Adolescents: The Perfect Storm. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2011; 58(3):637–647.
3.
Crowley SJ, Wolfson AR, Tarokh L, et al. An update on adolescent sleep: New evidence informing the perfect storm model. J Adolesc. 2018; 67:55–65.
4.
Saidi O, Pereira B, Peyrel P, et al. Sleep pattern and staging in elite adolescent rugby players during the in-season competitive phase compared to an age matched non-athlete population. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022; 22(4):499–510.
5.
Souabni MJ, Souabni M, Hammouda O, et al. Are Adolescent Athletes Sleeping Enough? An Observational Study of Sleep Parameters during Schooldays and Holidays. Child (Basel, Switzerland). 2024; 11(9):1044.
6.
Romdhani M, Bentouati E, Abid R, et al. Reciprocal relationships between sleep quality, mental health and the quality of life in elite athletes: A pilot study. Biol Sport. 2025; 267–279.
7.
Vlahoyiannis A, Aphamis G, Bogdanis GC, et al. Deconstructing athletes’ sleep: A systematic review of the influence of age, sex, athletic expertise, sport type, and season on sleep characteristics. J Sport Heal Sci. 2021; 10(4):387–402.
8.
Mason L, Connolly J, Devenney LE, et al. Sleep, Nutrition, and Injury Risk in Adolescent Athletes: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2023; 15(24):1–16.
9.
Killer SC, Svendsen IS, Jeukendrup AE, et al. Evidence of disturbed sleep and mood state in well-trained athletes during short-term intensified training with and without a high carbohydrate nutritional intervention. J Sports Sci. 2017; 35(14):1402–1410.
10.
Kölling S, Wiewelhove T, Raeder C, et al. Sleep monitoring of a six-day microcycle in strength and high-intensity training. Eur J Sport Sci. 2016; 16(5):507–515.
11.
Kong Z, Wei X, Shen M, et al. Interval training has more negative effects on sleep in adolescent speed skaters: a randomized cross controlled trial. Front Sport Act living. 2024; 6:1367190.
12.
Ochoa-Lácar J, Singh M, Bird SP, et al. How Sleep Affects Recovery and Performance in Basketball: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci. 2022; 12(11):1570.
13.
Boukhris O, Trabelsi K, Suppiah H, et al. The Impact of Daytime Napping Following Normal Night-Time Sleep on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. Sports Med. 2024; 54(2):323–345.
14.
Lastella M, Halson SL, Vitale JA, et al. To Nap or Not to Nap? A Systematic Review Evaluating Napping Behavior in Athletes and the Impact on Various Measures of Athletic Performance. Nat Sci Sleep. 2021; 13:841–862.
15.
Souabni M, Hammouda O, Romdhani M, et al. Benefits of Daytime Napping Opportunity on Physical and Cognitive Performances in Physically Active Participants: A Systematic Review. Sport Med. 2021; 51(10):2115–2146.
16.
Walsh NP, Halson SL, Sargent C, et al. Sleep and the athlete : narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations. Br J Sports Med. 2021; 55(7):1–13.
17.
Souabni M, Hammouda O, Souabni MJ, et al. 40-min nap opportunity attenuates heart rate and perceived exertion and improves physical specific abilities in elite basketball players. Res Sports Med. 2023; 31(6):859–872.
18.
Souabni M, Hammouda O, Souabni MJ, et al. Nap improved game-related technical performance and physiological response during small-sided basketball game in professional players. Biol Sport. 2023; 40(2):389–397.
19.
Romdhani M, Dergaa I, Moussa-Chamari I, et al. The effect of post-lunch napping on mood, reaction time and antioxidant defense during repeated sprint exercise. Biol Sport. 2021; 38(4):629–638.
20.
Thornton HR, Duthie GM, Pitchford NW, et al. Effects of a 2-Week High-Intensity Training Camp on Sleep Activity of Professional Rugby League Athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2017; 12(7):928–933.
21.
Romyn G, Lastella M, Miller DJ, et al. Daytime naps can be used to supplement night-time sleep in athletes. Chronobiol Int. 2018; 35(6):865–868.
22.
Suppiah HT, Low CY, Choong G, et al. Effects of a short daytime nap on shooting and sprint performance in high-level adolescent athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2019; 14(1):76–82.
23.
Hammouda O, Romdhani M, Chaabouni Y, et al. Diurnal napping after partial sleep deprivation affected hematological and biochemical responses during repeated sprint. Biol Rhythm Res. 2018; 49(6):927–939.
24.
Romdhani M, Souissi N, Chaabouni Y, et al. Improved physical performance and decreased muscular and oxidative damage with postlunch napping after partial sleep deprivation in Athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020; 15(6):874–883.
25.
Lo JC, Chee MW. Cognitive effects of multi-night adolescent sleep restriction: current data and future possibilities. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2020; 33:34–41.
26.
Romdhani M, Souissi N, Dergaa I, et al. The effect of caffeine, nap opportunity and their combination on biomarkers of muscle damage and antioxidant defence during repeated sprint exercise. Biol Sport. 2022; 39(4):1033–1042.
27.
Backhaus J, Junghanns K, Broocks A, et al. Test-retest reliability and validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in primary insomnia. J Psychosom Res. 2002; 53(3):737–740.
28.
Horne JA, Ostberg O. A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness-eveningness in human circadian rhythms. Int J Chronobiol. 1976; 4(2):97–110.
29.
Spilsbury JC, Drotar D, Rosen CL, et al. The Cleveland adolescent sleepiness questionnaire: a new measure to assess excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents. J Clin sleep Med. 2007; 3(6):603–612.
30.
Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, et al. G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007; 39(2):175–191.
31.
Sadeh A. The role and validity of actigraphy in sleep medicine: an update. Sleep Med Rev. 2011; 15(4):259–267.
32.
Hooper SL, Mackinnon LT. Monitoring Overtraining in Athletes: Recommendations. Sport Med. 1995; 20(5):321–327.
33.
Borg G. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress. Scand J Rehabil Med. 1970; 2(2):92–98.
34.
Ravier G. Quantifying internal workload during training drills in handball players: comparison between heart rate and perceived exertion based methods. Mov Sport Sci – Sci Mot. 2022; 118(4):15–22.
35.
Malik M, John Camm A, Thomas Bigger J, et al. Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Circulation. 1996; 93(5):1043–1065.
36.
Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001; 37(1):153–156.
37.
Jovic A, Bogunovic N. Electrocardiogram analysis using a combination of statistical, geometric, and nonlinear heart rate variability features. Artif Intell Med. 2011; 51(3):175–186.
38.
Delextrat A, Martinez A. Small-sided game training improves aerobic capacity and technical skills in basketball players. Int J Sports Med. 2014; 35(5):385–391.
39.
Munro AG, Herrington LC. Between-session reliability of four hop tests and the Agility T-test. J Strength Cond Res. 2011; 25(5):1470–1477.
40.
Scanlan AT, Wen N, Pyne DB, et al. Power-Related Determinants of Modified Agility T-test Performance in Male Adolescent Basketball Players. J strength Cond Res. 2021; 35(8):2248–2254.
41.
Meckel Y, Segev S, Eliakim A. Repeated jump tests for children and adolescents at various stages of basketball games, and their relationships to aerobic capacity. J Phys Educ Sport. 2022; 22(6):1530–1536.
42.
Cohen J. A power primer. Psychol Bull. 1992; 112(1):155–159.
43.
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Heal. 2015; 1(1):40–43.
44.
Saidi O, Souabni M, Del Sordo GC, et al. Association between Low Energy Availability (LEA) and Impaired Sleep Quality in Young Rugby Players. Nutrients. 2024; 16(5):609.
45.
Fullagar HHK, Duffield R, Skorski S, et al. Sleep and Recovery in Team Sport : Current Sleep related Issues Facing Professional Team sport Athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2015; 10(8):950–957.
46.
Cellini N, Whitehurst LN, Mcdevitt EA, et al. Heart rate variability during daytime naps in healthy adults: Autonomic profile and short-term reliability. Psychophysiology. 2016; 53(4):473–481.
47.
Alqatari AA, Alturki JA, Abdulali KA, et al. Changes in heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity during daytime naps. Nat Sci Sleep. 2020; 12:661–669.
48.
Souabni M, Souabni MJ, Hidouri S, et al. Napping and heart rate variability in elite athletes. Biol Sport. 2024; 41(3):213–221.
49.
Billman GE. The LF/HF ratio does not accurately measure cardiac sympatho-vagal balance. Front Physiol. 2013; 4:26.
50.
Whitehurst LN, Naji M, Mednick SC. Comparing the cardiac autonomic activity profile of daytime naps and nighttime sleep. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythm. 2018; 5:52–57.
51.
Eken Ö, Bozkurt O, Türkmen M, et al. Post-Lunch Napping as a Strategy to Enhance Physiological Performance and Cognitive Function in Elite Volleyball Players. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024; 60(10):1698.
52.
Davenne D. Sleep of athletes – Problems and possible solutions. Biol Rhythm Res. 2009; 40(1):45–52.
53.
Sirohi P, Khan MH, Sharma S, et al. A systematic review of effects of daytime napping strategies on sports performance in physically active individuals with and without partial-sleep deprivation. PeerJ. 2022; 10:e14460.
54.
Gupta L, Morgan K, North C, et al. Napping in high-performance athletes: Sleepiness or sleepability? Eur J Sport Sci. 2021; 21(3):321–330.
55.
Bosco C, Komi P V, Tihanyi J, et al. Mechanical power test and fiber composition of human leg extensor muscles. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1983; 51(1):129–135.
Copyright: Institute of Sport. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
