Does Wearing Compression Garments Affect Sleep in Soccer Players

This randomized controlled crossover study was conducted in young elite male soccer players from a professional soccer club academy to investigate the effects of nocturnal compression garments on sleep quantity and quality.

The study was conducted over four consecutive weeks. During the first week, all participants completed a baseline control condition without wearing any garment during the night. This baseline condition was always performed first and was not randomized. During the following three weeks, participants completed three garment conditions in a randomized order: full-length compression leggings, compression calf sleeves, and non-compressive placebo garments. Each condition was maintained for seven consecutive nights.

Participants were instructed to put on the assigned garment approximately two hours before bedtime, wear it throughout the night, and remove it after waking. The placebo garment was designed to provide a similar wearing experience without applying meaningful compression.

Sleep was assessed objectively using wrist actigraphy and subjectively using self-reported sleep measures. Objective sleep variables included total sleep time, time in bed, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and the number of nocturnal awakenings.

To limit potential confounding factors, external and internal training loads, perceived stress, fatigue and muscle soreness, pre-sleep nutritional intake, and nocturnal thermal conditions were monitored throughout the experimental period. The study was conducted under standardized living and training conditions within the professional soccer academy environment.