The present work addressed the nuances of sleep and its importance in the athlete's life. Another point of great value that will also be addressed in this research is the functions of sleep in the human body and how its deprivation can cause various harms. Although there are numerous reasons for developing direct sleep deprivation, sleep is of fundamental importance for the functioning of the human body and its phases will be studied and detailed in this article. Despite the passing of time and modernity that has made human life more hectic and some of the healthy habits forgotten, this study demonstrated how sleep has broader functions than just rest. The problem of the research was the direct connection between sleep and the performance of athletes. The methodologies used were explanatory and qualitative research.