Does sleep quality affect reaction time? a comparison of gaming and training in esports and traditional athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63750/kwbqqy98Keywords:
Sleep Quality, Reaction Time, Electronic Sports, Traditional Sports, Circadian rhythmsAbstract
This study investigated the effects of sleep quality and training schedules on reaction time in esports players compared to traditional athletes. Using a comparative cross-sectional design, 60 participants (30 esports athletes, 30 traditional athletes) were assessed through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), actigraphy monitoring, in-game and sport-specific reaction tests, the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), and the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire. Results revealed that sleep quality significantly correlated with reaction time in esports athletes (r = 0.52, p = .004), whereas the relationship was weaker among traditional athletes. Independent t-test results showed esports players had significantly faster reaction times (M = 258.47 ms) compared to traditional athletes (M = 269.21 ms, p = .019). Regression analysis demonstrated that sleep quality, fatigue, and circadian rhythm alignment predicted 44% of the variance in reaction time, with circadian misalignment as the strongest predictor. ANOVA findings further revealed that training schedule interacted with sleep quality, where esports athletes training at night with adequate sleep outperformed traditional athletes training in the day. Collectively, these findings suggest that esports athletes not only maintain competitive reaction times under unconventional sleep schedules but may also demonstrate superior adaptability compared to traditional athletes.
Downloads
References
Bayrakdar, A., Alin, L., Bayraktar, I., & Avcı, P. (2022). The effects of esports on sleep: A systematic literature review. Sport Sciences for Health, 22(2), 95–104. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022120225928
Bonnar, D., Lee, S., Gradisar, M., & Suh, S. (2019). Risk factors and sleep intervention considerations in esports: A review and practical guide. Sleep Medicine Research, 10(2), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.17241/smr.2019.00479
Bonnar, D., Lee, S., Roane, B. M., Blum, D. J., Kahn, M., Jang, E., Dunican, I. C., Gradisar, M., & Suh, S. (2022). Evaluation of a brief sleep intervention designed to improve the sleep, mood, and cognitive performance of esports athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), Article 4146. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074146
Butnariu, M. (2024). The influence of sleep on athletes’ body recovery after effort. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Educatio Artis Gymnasticae, 69(3), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeag.69(3).24
Cajochen, C., & Schmidt, C. (2024). The circadian brain and cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 75, 433–457. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-022824-043825
Callow, D. D. (2024). Sleep and physical activity are associated with cognition and resting‐state functional imaging measures of network segregation in non‐demented older adults. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 20(S9). https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.093765
Carrani, L., Baena Riera, A., Altarriba-Bartés, A., Gil-Puga, B., Piedra Gonzalez, A., Piniés-Penadés, G., Zamora Casals, M., & Peña, J. (2022). Are esports players comparable to traditional athletes? A cross-sectional study. Aloma, 40(2), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.51698/aloma.2022.40.2.83-92
Charest, J., & Grandner, M. A. (2020). Sleep and athletic performance: Impacts on physical performance, mental performance, injury risk and recovery, and mental health. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 15(1), 41–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.11.005
Coel, R. A., Pujalte, G. G. A., Applewhite, A., Zaslow, T., Cooper, G., Ton, A. N., & Benjamin, H. J. (2022). Sleep and the young athlete. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 15(4), 537–546. https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381221108732
Haskell, B., Eiler, A., & Essien, H. (2025). Sleep quality and cognitive skills impact neurocognitive function and reduce sports-related injury risk. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 7(2), Article 101077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asmr.2025.101077
Jones, M. J., Peeling, P., Dawson, B., Halson, S. L., Miller, J., Dunican, I. C., Clarke, M. W., Goodman, C., & Eastwood, P. R. (2018). Evening electronic device use: The effects on alertness, sleep and next-day physical performance in athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(2), 162–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2017.1287936
Karanika, P., Gallardo, P., Tsatalas, T., Giakas, G., & Tsaklis, P. V. (2024). Circadian rhythm and physical fatigue separately influence cognitive and physical performance in amateur athletes. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 9(4), Article 227. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9040227
Kidcaff, A., Coulter, T., McNulty, C., & Polman, R. (2025). Exploring sleep behaviour in esports and factors associated with sleep quality. Advanced Exercise and Health Science, 2(2), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aehs.2025.04.002
Kim, H. (2025). A comparative study of peripheral perception and reaction time between esports gamers and university athletes. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 3(1), Article jege.2024-0029. https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2024-0029
Kirschen, G., Jones, J., & Hale, L. (2018). The impact of sleep duration on performance among competitive athletes: A systematic literature review. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 30(5), 503–512. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000622
Kortesoja, L., Vainikainen, M.-P., Hotulainen, R., & Merikanto, I. (2022). Late-night digital media use in relation to chronotype, sleep and tiredness on school days in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52(2), 419–433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01703-4
Lee, S., Bonnar, D., Kim, Y., Lee, Y., Lee, S., Gradisar, M., & Suh, A. (2020). Sleep characteristics and risk factors of Korean esports athletes: An exploratory study. Sleep Medicine Research, 11(2), 77–87. https://doi.org/10.17241/smr.2020.00773
Lee, S., Bonnar, D., Roane, B., Gradisar, M., Dunican, I. C., Lastella, M., Maisey, G., & Suh, S. (2021). Sleep characteristics and mood of professional esports athletes: A multi-national study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), Article 664. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020664
Mancı, E., & Özdalyan, F. (2023). Relationship between young esports players' chronotypes and physical activity status. Akdeniz Spor Bilimleri Dergisi. https://doi.org/10.38021/asbid.1373133
Moen, F., Vatn, M., Olsen, M., Haugan, J. A., & Skalicka, V. (2022). Sleep characteristics in esport players and associations with game performance: Residual dynamic structural equation modeling. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3, Article 697535. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.697535
Pang, Z., Su, L., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Daily physical activity, coffee and energy drink consumption, and sleep patterns among Chinese elite professional esports athletes: A case study of Zhejiang Regans Gaming. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, Article 1557533. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1557533
Rygielski, A., Melnyk, B., Latour, E., Latour, M., Judek, R., Kowalczyk, Z., Stanek, A., & Płudowska, K. (2024). The impact of sleep on athletes’ performance and injury risk. Quality in Sport, 19, Article 54333. https://doi.org/10.12775/qs.2024.19.54333
Sanz-Milone, V., Yoshinori, P., & Maculano Esteves, A. (2021). Sleep quality of professional esports athletes (Counter Strike: Global Offensive). International Journal of Esports, 1(1). https://www.ijesports.org/article/45/html
Smithies, T., Toth, A., & Campbell, M. (2023). P104 The impact of total sleep deprivation on performance in the esport ‘Rocket League.’ Sleep Advances, 4(Suppl. 1), A72–A73. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleepadvances/zpad035.189
Smithies, T. D., Toth, A. J., & Campbell, M. J. (2024). The effect of total sleep deprivation on the cognitive and in-game performance of Rocket League esport players. Nature and Science of Sleep, 16, 2183–2204. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S470105
Tang, D., Sum, K.-W. R., Ma, R., & Ho, W.-K. (2023). Beyond the screen: Do esports participants really have more physical health problems? Sustainability, 15(23), Article 16391. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316391
Vitale, J. A., Banfi, G., Galbiati, A., Ferini-Strambi, L., & La Torre, A. (2019). Effect of a night game on actigraphy-based sleep quality and perceived recovery in top-level volleyball athletes. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 14(2), 265–269. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsp.2018-0194
Vrbinc, K. N., & Vauhnik, R. (2024). The impact of sleep deprivation on physical activity. Physical Activity and Sport, 6(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.55295/psl.2024.i6
Weaver, E., Gradisar, M., Dohnt, H., Lovato, N., & Douglas, P. (2010). The effect of presleep video-game playing on adolescent sleep. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 6(2), 184–189. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.27769
Yin, K., Zi, Y., Zhuang, W., Gao, Y., Tong, Y., Song, L., & Liu, Y. (2020). Linking esports to health risks and benefits: Current knowledge and future research needs. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 9(6), 485–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2020.04.006
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Billy Jeen Martin (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright & Licensing Policy:
- Open Access Policy: This journal follows a fully Open Access model, which means all published research articles are freely available to readers without any subscription or access fees. Anyone can read, download, copy, distribute, print, and cite the published work without restrictions, as long as they comply with the journal’s licensing terms.
- Copyright & License:
- All articles published in this journal are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- This license allows unrestricted reuse and distribution, provided that proper credit is given to the original author and source.
- Authors retain full copyright ownership of their work while granting the journal the right to publish it for the first time under this license.
- Author Responsibilities:
- Authors must agree to the journal’s licensing terms before publication.
- Submitted manuscripts must be original and not published or under consideration elsewhere during the review process.
- Any reuse of published content by third parties must comply with the CC BY 4.0 license, ensuring no additional restrictions are imposed on reuse.
- Publication Fees (free to publish):
- This journal (free to publish) does not charge any fees for access to published research, supporting the principle of free and open scientific knowledge for all.
