Geelong researcher explores sleep’s role in reducing concussion risks in contact sport

THE Australian love for contact sports like Aussie Rules, Rugby League, and Rugby Union comes with significant risks, particularly the increased likelihood of concussions among players.

Young athletes, especially, face a heightened danger, with recent studies showing that rugby players aged 15 to 24 are more prone to concussions than their peers in other sports.

At the professional level, rugby players are highly likely to suffer a concussion every 25 games.

These concerns have prompted the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), in collaboration with Sports Medicine Australia, doctors, and physiotherapists, to introduce new concussion guidelines.

These guidelines recommend that athletes take a minimum of 21 days off before returning to competition after a concussion.

Amid these growing concerns, Deakin University School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences lecturer Dr. Spencer Roberts is exploring whether better sleep could help mitigate some of these risks.

“Youth collision sport athletes are exposed to head impacts during a critical phase of brain development, so there is a real need to examine youth athletes separately to their adult counterparts,” Dr Roberts said.

His research, which initially focused on Australian Rules footballers using EEG devices and instrumented mouthguards to assess sleep and monitor head impacts, has indicated a correlation between poor sleep quality and an increased risk of concussion.

“It’s still early days for this research, but If the data continue to show that poor sleep increases concussion risk, it will open the door for individualised prevention strategies to improve sleep and protect players’ long-term health,” he said.

Dr. Roberts will further his research with a $1,000 travel grant from Melius Consulting, which will assist him in presenting his findings at a scientific conference on brain injury at the University of Cambridge later this year.

He hopes his ongoing work will lead to customised prevention strategies that enhance sleep quality to safeguard athletes’ long-term health.