0095 THE EFFECTS OF EVENING ELECTRONIC DEVICE USE ON SLEEP IN HIGHLY TRAINED ATHLETES

• Published in: Sleep (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2017-04, Vol.40 (suppl_1), p.A36-A36
• Main Authors: Jones, M, Peeling, P, Dawson, B, Halson, S, Miller, J, Dunican, I, Clarke, M, Goodman, C, Eastwood, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Melatonin; Reading; Sleep
• ISSN: 0161-8105; 1550-9109
• DOI: 10.1093/sleepj/zsx050.094

Abstract Introduction: Sleep is considered one of the most important components of recovery for athletes, and sleep optimisation may assist athletes in achieving peak performance. Currently, it is thought that sleep quality and quantity are negatively affected by electronic device use (e.g. laptops, smartphones, televisions), but the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different types of tasks (i.e. puzzles vs. reading) performed with or without an electronic device (tablet) on pre-sleep alertness and sleep quality. Methods: Eight highly-trained netball players attended a sleep laboratory for pre-sleep testing and polysomnographic sleep monitoring on five separate occasions (1 familiarisation and 4 experimental sessions), each conducted at least one week apart. During the 2 h prior to bedtime in each experimental session, athletes completed cognitively stimulating tasks (puzzles) or passive tasks (reading) administered with or without an electronic device (tablet). The order of task administration was randomised. Sleep measures were obtained from polysomnography and questionnaires; melatonin concentration was measured via saliva samples. Sleep measures were compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d statistic. Results: The increase in melatonin concentration was significantly greater after reading compared to completing puzzles on a tablet (p=0.02), but was not different between any other conditions. A moderate-large effect size indicated that perceived sleepiness tended to be greater after reading compared to completing puzzles without a tablet (d=0.80), but not with a tablet. There were no significant differences in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency or percentage of time spent in each stage of sleep between any of the conditions. Conclusion: These data suggest that using a tablet for 2 h prior to sleep does not negatively affect subsequent sleep in athletes. Further research is required to better understand the relationship between evening electronic device use and sleep. Support (If Any):