In the high-stakes world of elite sports, athletes not only battle physical challenges but also face critical psychological and physiological stressors that can influence their performance. A groundbreaking study focusing on Chinese elite winter sports athletes during the preparatory period for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has shed new light on the complex interplay between sleep disturbances, mental health symptoms, and chronotype—an individual’s biological tendency toward morningness or eveningness. This research, published in BMC Psychiatry, provides a compelling exploration of how these factors converge to impact elite athletes, offering vital insights that extend well beyond the sporting arena.
Sleep, often overlooked in the discourse on athletic excellence, is a cornerstone of recovery and performance optimization. The study, involving 428 members of China’s National Training Team, utilized validated self-report instruments such as the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) alongside assessments for anxiety and depression—the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Seven-Item scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire Nine-Item scale (PHQ-9). These tools collectively mapped the prevalence and severity of sleep and mental health disturbances during a crucial training phase months before the Olympic games commenced.
The findings reveal a striking prevalence of sleep and psychological challenges: 13.1% of athletes reported clinically significant insomnia, 20.1% exhibited symptoms of depression, and 15.0% reported anxiety symptoms. These figures underscore a critical reality—elite athletes, often perceived as paragons of health and resilience, are vulnerable to mental health struggles, especially when preparing for events as demanding as the Winter Olympics. Such disturbances can have profound implications not only for athletes’ well-being but also for their competitive performance and career longevity.
Digging deeper, the research delineates specific demographic factors associated with heightened risk. Female athletes were found to have more than double the odds of experiencing insomnia compared to their male counterparts. Moreover, the age group of 20 to 24 years presented a particularly susceptible window, showing significantly increased odds for sleep disturbances. These associations invite a nuanced understanding of how gender and developmental stages intersect with the rigors of elite training regimens to shape athletes’ sleep health.
Perhaps the most striking contributor identified by this study is chronotype—the inherent predisposition toward activity and alertness at certain times of the day. Athletes with an evening chronotype—those who naturally prefer later sleep and wake times—demonstrated markedly higher likelihoods of experiencing insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Specifically, evening-type athletes had over six times the odds of insomnia symptoms and even greater odds for depression and anxiety, establishing chronotype as a potential independent predictor of these adverse conditions.
The implications of these findings are multifaceted. From a physiological perspective, individuals with an evening chronotype may face misalignment between their endogenous circadian rhythms and fixed training or competition schedules, leading to chronic sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality. This misalignment, often termed "social jetlag," can exacerbate mood disturbances and cognitive impairments, severely affecting athletes’ ability to perform and recover. Understanding these mechanisms with precision may inform targeted interventions such as chronotherapy or individualized training schedules.
Mental health symptoms in elite athletes have historically been under-recognized in both research and practice, overshadowed by a focus on physical training variables. This study challenges that paradigm by highlighting the intertwined nature of sleep disruption and psychological distress. It suggests that mental health and sleep hygiene deserve equal prioritization in athlete care programs, particularly during intense preparation periods where stress, workload, and expectations peak.
The methodological rigor of this investigation enhances its credibility. With a 94.1% response rate among top-tier athletes and the application of validated measurement scales, the findings suggest a high degree of generalizability within this athlete population. The use of multivariable logistic regression further strengthens causal inferences by adjusting for confounding factors, allowing a more precise identification of risk variables.
Importantly, the research has practical implications for sports organizations, coaching staff, and mental health professionals involved in athlete support. Tailoring interventions to accommodate chronotype differences, providing gender-sensitive mental health resources, and incorporating sleep education could form integral parts of holistic athlete management strategies. Such approaches not only have the potential to enhance performance but may also contribute to long-term health outcomes, ensuring athletes’ well-being beyond their competitive years.
Furthermore, the study calls for expanding this line of inquiry to diverse athletic cohorts and varying cultural contexts. While the focus here is on Chinese winter sport athletes, the role of chronotype and its interaction with training demands could resonate globally across sports disciplines. Cross-cultural comparisons could illuminate universal versus population-specific factors, guiding more effective and culturally attuned intervention models.
This research also resonates with a broader societal awakening regarding the importance of sleep and mental health. As public awareness grows around the detrimental consequences of sleep deprivation and psychological disorders, elite sports provide a vivid microcosm where these challenges manifest under extreme performance pressures. The lessons learned here could inform public health initiatives, workplace wellness programs, and educational campaigns aimed at promoting balanced circadian health.
Addressing these challenges is no small feat, given the inherent demands of Olympic-level training, which often requires early mornings, late nights, and rigorous travel schedules that disrupt natural sleep patterns. Integrative approaches combining chronobiology, psychology, and sports medicine are essential to create adaptive strategies. Such innovations may include scheduling flexibility, controlled exposure to light therapy, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and mindfulness techniques to optimize sleep and mental well-being.
In conclusion, the insights from this seminal study extend our understanding of how sleep and mental health disturbances intertwine with the biological underpinnings of chronotype in elite winter sport athletes. As the Beijing Winter Olympics showcased the pinnacle of athletic endeavor, the study acts as a clarion call to prioritize holistic health management in sporting excellence. Future research and practice must heed the intricate balance between body clock, mind, and physical performance to foster not only exceptional athletes but also healthy, resilient individuals.
Subject of Research: Sleep disturbances, mental health symptoms, and chronotype in Chinese elite winter sports athletes during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics preparatory period.
Article Title: Sleep disturbances, mental health symptoms, and chronotype in Chinese elite athletes: insights from the Beijing 2022 winter olympics preparatory period.
Article References: Hu, S., Wang, L., Chen, Y. et al. Sleep disturbances, mental health symptoms, and chronotype in Chinese elite athletes: insights from the Beijing 2022 winter olympics preparatory period. BMC Psychiatry 25, 400 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06839-8
Image Credits: AI Generated
