Insomnia symptomatology is high among elite athletes, with sleep quality appearing most vulnerable prior to major competitive events, during periods of high-intensity training and following long-haul travel to competitions.

Athlete sleep disturbances can affect training and competition directly, through fatigue, or indirectly, through sleep-related performance anxieties.

In general, the quality of the evidence base addressing sleep quality among elite athletes is low, with poor operationalisation of sleep quality constructs and few controlled comparisons of athlete and non-athlete sleep.