Abstract

The prevalence of sleep disturbance in athletes’ in the nights prior to important competitions or games is a worrisome phenomenon. Sixty-one athletes from an Irish university with age range of 19- 26 years were asked about their sleep habits in the nights prior to important competitions using the ‘Competitive Sport Sleep’’, questionnaire with a descriptive research design approach. Results indicated that (85%) of athletes had experienced poor sleep in the nights prior to a sports event. The causes of sleep disturbance were attributed as being more internal than external, with reasons such as nervousness and thoughts about competition particularly prevalent.

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