Global Research Output on Sleep Research in Athletes from 1966 to 2019: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study examined sleep research in athletes published between 1966 and 2019, through a bibliometric analysis of research output in the Scopus database. Following a robust assessment of titles, the bibliometric indicators of productivity for studies included in the final analysis were: Distribution of publications and citations (excluding self-citations), top ten active journals, countries, institutions and authors, single- and multi-country collaboration, and 25 top-cited papers. Out of the 1015 papers, 313 were included in the final analysis. The majority of the papers were research articles (n = 259; 82.8%) and published in English (n = 295; 94.3%). From 2011, there was a dramatic increase in papers published (n = 257; 82.1%) and citations (n = 3538; 91.0%). The number of collaborations increased after 2001, with papers published through international (n = 81; 25.9%) and national (n = 192; 61.3%) collaboration. Australia was the most prolific country in terms of number of publications (n = 97; 31.0%), and citations (n = 1529; 15.8%). In conclusion, after the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scientific production on sleep research in athletes has seen significant growth in publication and citation output. Future research should focus on interventions to improve sleep in athletes.

To Nap or Not to Nap? A Systematic Review Evaluating Napping Behavior in Athletes and the Impact on Various Measures of Athletic Performance

“… 5 , 6 For example, Sargent et al 6 demonstrated that more naps were taken on training days compared to rest days, and strategic napping during the day, as well as sleep hygiene practices (ie, healthy sleep practices) at night need to be considered. While several studies have investigated the impact of restricting or extending sleep on a number of outcomes of athletic performance (eg, sprint times, reaction time), 7 there has been comparatively less focus on the impact of napping. 8 , 9 It is possible that the lack of dedicated napping research in athletes may limit the ability of athletes, coaches and sports professionals to effectively implement strategic napping within their training programs.…”

“… 11 The majority of research examining athletes’ sleep has focused on the impact of night-time sleep on performance and recovery. 7 , 9 Yet, napping represents an opportunity to supplement the night-time sleep period, which may assist athletes in obtaining recommended sleep. Previous research on non-athletes has shown that napping can improve daytime sleepiness, mood and cognitive performance, 12–14 with the magnitude of these effects comparable to other sleep restriction countermeasures (eg, caffeine, modafinil).…”

“…Previous research on non-athletes has shown that napping can improve daytime sleepiness, mood and cognitive performance, 12–14 with the magnitude of these effects comparable to other sleep restriction countermeasures (eg, caffeine, modafinil). 3 However, despite the recent interest in napping in athletes, 7 , 15 the impact of napping on athletes is yet to be systematically investigated. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to determine how studies evaluated napping behavior in athletes (frequency, duration, timing and measurement).…”

Portable polysomnography for sleep monitoring in elite youth rowing: An athlete's gain or the sleep's thief?

“…Previous research highly recommends further identification and treatment of common sleep disorders in elite athletes, 10,41 and underlines the importance of educating coaches and athletes regarding sleep to reduce the risk of injury in elite athletes. 42 As for sleep assessment, portable PSG is considered a promising tool in assessing athletes' sleep architecture out of the sleep laboratory and within applied settings, 20 but no studies have focused on possible negative effects of sleep quality assessment itself.…”

The First-Night Effect in Elite Sports: An Initial Glance on Polysomnography in Home-Based Settings

“…However, sleep is a rather challenging matter in elite sports (Caia et al, 2018 ; Kölling et al, 2019 ). Multiple internal and external circumstances negatively affect an athlete's sleep quality and quantity and can be determined as salient risk factors for sleep inadequacy in athletes (Kölling et al, 2016b ; Lastella et al, 2020 ; Walsh et al, 2020 ). For one thing, international air travel is required for athletes to get to different competition grounds or training camps.…”