Effectiveness of a Sleep Hygiene Education in Female Para Athletes

Effectiveness of a Sleep Hygiene Education in Female Para Athletes: A Mixed-Methods Study Using PSQI, Sleep Behaviour, and Qualitative Experiences

It is imperative to recognise elite female sitting volleyball players as a high-risk group with regard to sleep deprivation. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the efficacy of sleep hygiene education for this demographic.

The objective of this study is to The present study aims to examine the effect of sleep hygiene education on sleep quality and behaviour in elite female sitting volleyball players using mixed methods.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Sleep Hygiene
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Single-Group Pretest-Posttest Design

Detailed Description

The method of this study will consist of a mixed design conducted on athletes selected from the Turkish Women's National Sitting Volleyball Team using purposive sampling. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) will be utilised to assess the participants' sleep quality, while the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ) will be employed to evaluate their sleep behaviours. Data collection will be conducted at two distinct time points: firstly, prior to the implementation of a structured sleep hygiene education programme, and subsequently approximately 30 days thereafter, which will be designated as the post-test phase. In order to provide a more in-depth elucidation of the quantitative findings and to achieve a more contextualised understanding, qualitative data will be collected through two online focus group discussions following the post-test.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ahmet Sansi, PhD; Phone Number: +90 5307469590; Email: ahmet.sansi@ibu.edu.tr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Semih KARAMAN, PhD(c); Phone Number: +90 537 7861933; Email: semih.karaman@ibu.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Province
    • Bolu, Province, Turkey (Türkiye), 14030
      • Bolu abant Izzet Baysal University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being an elite athlete who is a member of the Turkey Women's National Sitting Volleyball Team.
• Actively participating in regular training sessions and competitions.
• Willingness to participate in the planned sleep hygiene education program throughout the study period.
• Having sufficient cognitive capacity to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ).
• Agreeing to participate in focus group interviews.
• Providing voluntary participation and signing an informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to participate regularly in training sessions during the study period due to acute injury, illness, or surgical intervention.
• Failure to attend the education program or assessment procedures regularly.
• Incomplete completion of data collection instruments or non-participation in focus group interviews.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Turkish women's national sitting volleyball team; The study's sample population will comprise all athletes who will be members of the Turkish national sitting volleyball team in the 2026 season. The selection of participants will be carried out using a purposive sampling method, and data will be collected from all volunteers who will be willing to participate in the study and who will meet the specified criteria. This approach will result in the establishment of a sample group that will reflect the full characteristics of the target population.

Behavioral: Single-Group Pretest-Posttest Design; The method of this study will consist of a mixed-method design conducted with athletes selected from the Turkish Women's National Sitting Volleyball Team through purposive sampling. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) will be used to assess participants' sleep quality, while the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ) will be employed to evaluate their sleep behaviours. Data will be collected at two distinct time points: first, prior to the implementation of a structured sleep hygiene education program, and subsequently approximately 30 days later, designated as the post-test phase. In order to provide a more in-depth explanation of the results obtained from the quantitative data and to achieve a more contextual understanding, qualitative data will be collected through two online focus group discussions conducted following the post-test.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in Sleep Behavior Scores as Measured by the Turkish Version of the Athlete (Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ).	Measurement Tool: The ASBQ is a 17-item five-point Likert-type questionnaire used to assess athletes' sleep habits. This tool identifies abnormal patterns and areas for improvement in an athletic context. This scale allows athletes to evaluate their own sleep behavior through self-assessment. Scoring Interpretation: The scale is evaluated based on the total score. A total score of 34 or below indicates "good sleep behavior," while a total score of 40 or above indicates "poor sleep behavior." Unit of Measure: Total Score on the ASBQ (Range: 17 to 85).	Baseline (Pre-intervention) and Approximately 30 days after the intervention.
Change from Baseline in Global Sleep Quality Score Assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)	The PSQI is a self-rated questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month time interval. It consists of 19 individual items that generate seven distinct component scores: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each component score is weighted equally on a scale from 0 to 3. These seven component scores are then summed to yield a single global PSQI score, which has a possible range of 0 to 21. A global score of 5 or less indicates "good sleep quality," while a score greater than 5 indicates "poor sleep quality." Therefore, higher global scores represent worse sleep quality and greater sleep difficulties. Unit of Measure: Global Score (Range: 0 to 21)	Baseline (Pre-intervention) and Approximately 30 days after the intervention.
Qualitative Assessment of Behavioral Changes and Sleep Hygiene Perceptions via Semi-Structured Focus Group Interviews	To complement the quantitative findings within a mixed-methods design, qualitative data will be collected through online focus group discussions. These sessions will utilize semi-structured interview guides specifically designed to explore participants' underlying sleep habits, their behavioral changes post-intervention, and their overall perceptions of sleep hygiene. The qualitative data (transcripts) will be subjected to thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns, context, and relationships. Unlike quantitative measures, this assessment does not yield a numerical score; instead, it generates descriptive narrative themes that evaluate the real-world effectiveness and subjective experience of the training program. Unit of Measure: Qualitative Themes and Narrative Feedback (Descriptive/Categorical)	Conducted after the 30-day post-test data collection.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Social Jetlag (SJL) Calculated by Mid-Sleep Time Discrepancy	Social Jetlag (SJL) quantifies the misalignment between an individual's biological circadian clock and their social or work schedules. It is determined by calculating the absolute difference between the mid-point of sleep on free days (MSF) and the mid-point of sleep on workdays (MSW). The mid-point of sleep is defined as the exact halfway point between sleep onset and wake time (e.g., if sleep onset is 24:00 and wake time is 08:00, the mid-point is 04:00). The specific calculation formula used is:Social Jetlag is calculated based on the difference between the mid-point of sleep on free days (MSF) and the mid-point of sleep on workdays (MSW). The calculation formula is as follows: SJL = |MSF - MSW|. Unit of Measure: Time difference (Expressed in Hours and Minutes)	Baseline (Pre-test) and Approximately 30 days after the intervention (Post-test).

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Abant Izzet Baysal University
• Investigators: Study Director: Ahmet Sansi, PhD, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Sport Science Faculty

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): February 27, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 27, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 13, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 26, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 26, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Sleep hygiene; Para-Athlete; Sleep Behaviour
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Health Behavior; Sleep Hygiene
• Other Study ID Numbers: AIBU-ANE-AS-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No