A systematic review looked at how team sports affect sleep quality. It included 809 participants, such as adolescents, college students, elite athletes, and untrained individuals. The sports studied were football, basketball, handball, and volleyball.
The review found that team sports were linked to significantly improved sleep in some studies. However, other studies showed inconsistent results or no significant changes. The overall certainty of the evidence is low due to limited studies and differences in how research was done.
No safety concerns were reported in the included studies. The main reason to be careful is that the findings show an association, not proof that team sports cause better sleep. Differences in study designs and populations make it hard to draw firm conclusions.
Realistically, this review suggests a potentially positive link between team sports and sleep for young people. More large, well-designed studies are needed to confirm this and understand who benefits most.