Sleep architecture of elite soccer players surrounding match days as measured by WHOOP straps

Figures & data

Table 1. Definition of each sleep and external load metric measured.

Term, abbreviation	Definition
TST (mins)	Time spent asleep determined from sleep onset to wake onset, minus any wake time.
Sleep disturbances (No.)	Episodes of wakefulness lasting less than 4 minutes.
SE (%)	Percentage of time spent asleep between sleep onset and wake onset.
REM sleep (%)	Percentage of TST spent in REM sleep, between the start and end of sleep.
Deep sleep (%)	Percentage of TST spent in deep sleep, between the start and end of sleep.
Light sleep (%)	Percentage of TST spent in light sleep, between the start and end of sleep.
Wake time (%)	Percentage of time spent awake between sleep onset and wake onset, between the onset and end of sleep.
Sleep onset (hh:mm:ss)	Time of initial onset of sleep.
Wake onset (hh:mm:ss)	Time of final awakening.
TD (m)	Total distance covered in training/game.
HSD (m)	Distance covered in training/game over threshold of 5.5 m/s.
SD (m)	Distance covered in training/game over threshold of 7 m/s.
ACC (No.)	Accelerations registering over threshold of 3 m/s/s.
DEC (No.)	Decelerations registering over threshold of 3 m/s/s.

TST, total sleep time; SE, sleep efficiency; REM, rapid eye movement; TD, total distance; HSD, high speed distance; SD, sprint distance; ACC, accelerations; DEC, decelerations.

Table 2. Sleep variables in professional soccer players across three nights; before matches, after matches and nights following the day after matches.

	Day			p-value
Variable	MD−1	MD	MD+1
Nights#	52	52	52
TST (mins)	454.3 ± 66.7	392.9 ± 76.4	459.1 ± 66.7	0.003*
Sleep efficiency (%)	87.8 ± 7.2	88.4 ± 7.0	88.0 ± 8.7	0.844
Sleep disturbances	12.4 ± 4.2	11.7 ± 3.5	13.8 ± 4.6	0.212
% REM sleep	26.7 ± 8.8	25.5 ± 7.7	23.7 ± 9.1	0.366
% Deep sleep	23.2 ± 4.7	22.1 ± 5.7	23.0 ± 4.7	0.541
% Light sleep	50.0 ± 9.6	52.4 ± 7.7	53.3 ± 9.1	0.442
% Awake	14.7 ± 10.0	13.9 ± 12.7	15.3 ± 15.1	0.771

Data are mean ± standard deviation. *indicates significant differences between match day types (p < 0.05). TST, total sleep time; REM, rapid eye movement; MD, match-day; MD₋₁, day before match-day; MD₊₁, day after match day. #Number of nights used for analysis.

Table 3. Sleep variables in professional soccer players following match play with different match locations.

	Game location
Variable	Home	Away	p-values	Hedges g
Nights#	30	22
TST (mins)	386.9 ± 75.7	401.0 ± 78.3	0.475	0.02
Sleep efficiency (%)	88.4 ± 8.1	88.4 ± 5.2	0.820	0.00
Sleep disturbances	11.7 ± 3.3	11.6 ± 3.9	0.702	−0.03
% REM sleep	24.1 ± 8.0	27.4 ± 6.9	0.121	0.43
% Deep sleep	22.2 ± 6.2	22.0 ± 5.1	0.944	−0.03
% Light sleep	53.7 ± 8.3	50.6 ± 6.5	0.148	−0.04
% Awake	14.6 ± 15.5	13.1 ± 7.6	0.746	−0.12

Data are mean ± standard deviation. TST, total sleep time; REM, rapid eye movement. #Number of nights used for analysis.

Table 4. GPS variables in professional soccer players across three days.

	Day
Variable	MD−1	MD	MD+1	p-values
Nights#	52	52	52
TD (m)	3279.8 ± 810.4	6783.4 ± 3804.0	690.8 ± 1475.3	<0.001*
HSD (m)	72.8 ± 63.2	545.7 ± 344.9	24.4 ± 59.3	0.002*
SD (m)	12.0 ± 16.9	134.3 ± 110.0	4.4 ± 16.8	0.013*
ACC (No.)	33.1 ± 13.6	49.2 ± 29.6	9.1 ± 22.6	0.007*
DEC (No.)	18.7 ± 10.5	50.9 ± 31.3	7.0 ± 17.1	0.004*

Data are mean ± standard deviation. *indicates significant differences between match day types. TD, total distance; HSD, high speed distance; SD, sprint distance; ACC, high intensity accelerations; DEC, high intensity decelerations; MD, match-day; MD₋₁, day before match-day; MD₊₁, day after match day. #Number of nights used for analysis.