From Better Sleep to Better Performance: Effects of Pre-Sleep Autogenic Training on Elite Handball Players — A Randomized Counterbalanced Crossover Trial.

Pre-Sleep Autogenic Training Improves Actigraphy-Derived Sleep Quality, Cognitive Function, and Physical Performance in Elite Handball Players: A Randomized Counterbalanced Crossover Trial.

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

PACTR

Registry ID

PACTR202607891303496

Enrollment

Registered

2026-07-09

Start date

2026-02-02

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-09-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine

Interventions

Autogenic relaxation

Pre sleep screen using

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Male

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria required a minimum of eight years of competitive experience, a criterion operationally defining elite athletic status, an intermediate chronotype verified by the Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire , and habitual sleep duration of 7.5 ± 0.5 hours assessed over one month using the Bastuji-Jouvet sleep diary.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Participants were excluded if they: reported musculoskeletal injuries, diagnosed sleep disorders, any current pharmacological treatment.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Objective sleep was measured continuously using a triaxial accelerometer worn on the non-dominant wrist with data processed in ActiLife software. Bedtime and wake-time epochs were defined using sleep diary entries. Extracted variables included Sleep Onset Latency (SOL), Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO), Total Sleep Time (TST), and Sleep Efficiency (SE = TST / time in bed × 100). subjective sleep quality was assessed on Days 1, 4, and 7 of each condition using the Spiegel Sleep Quality Perception Questionnaire (SSQ; Spiegel, 1984; total score 0–30), and daily through the Consensus Sleep Diary. Subjective diary entries served exclusively to define actigraphy epoch boundaries for sleep period identification; subjective diary-derived indices (SOL, TST, WASO, SE, and SSQ) were not subjected to independent statistical analysis in the present study, as no separate diary scoring dataset was available.	—

Measure

Time frame

Objective sleep was measured continuously using a triaxial accelerometer worn on the non-dominant wrist with data processed in ActiLife software. Bedtime and wake-time epochs were defined using sleep diary entries. Extracted variables included Sleep Onset Latency (SOL), Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO), Total Sleep Time (TST), and Sleep Efficiency (SE = TST / time in bed × 100). subjective sleep quality was assessed on Days 1, 4, and 7 of each condition using the Spiegel Sleep Quality Perception Questionnaire (SSQ; Spiegel, 1984; total score 0–30), and daily through the Consensus Sleep Diary. Subjective diary entries served exclusively to define actigraphy epoch boundaries for sleep period identification; subjective diary-derived indices (SOL, TST, WASO, SE, and SSQ) were not subjected to independent statistical analysis in the present study, as no separate diary scoring dataset was available.

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Cognitive assessments / Simple Reaction Time (SRT) and Choice Reaction Time (CRT) were measured using OpenSesame software, with 20 consecutive trials per session and variable preparatory intervals (200-1400 ms) to limit anticipatory responding. Mean reaction time (ms) was retained for analysis. Executive function was evaluated using the Trail Making Test Parts A (TMT-A) and B (TMT-B), with completion time recorded in seconds. The TMT B-A difference score served as a processing-speed-independent index of cognitive flexibility. Sustained attention and visual discrimination were quantified using the Digit Cancellation Test (D-CAT;, scored as total correct responses. Cognitive inhibitory control was assessed using the three-component Stroop paradigm: word reading, color naming, and color-word interference. Interference indices (M/C and I/C) were computed as the ratio of interference time to color-naming and word-reading times, respectively	—

Measure

Time frame

Cognitive assessments / Simple Reaction Time (SRT) and Choice Reaction Time (CRT) were measured using OpenSesame software, with 20 consecutive trials per session and variable preparatory intervals (200-1400 ms) to limit anticipatory responding. Mean reaction time (ms) was retained for analysis. Executive function was evaluated using the Trail Making Test Parts A (TMT-A) and B (TMT-B), with completion time recorded in seconds. The TMT B-A difference score served as a processing-speed-independent index of cognitive flexibility. Sustained attention and visual discrimination were quantified using the Digit Cancellation Test (D-CAT;, scored as total correct responses. Cognitive inhibitory control was assessed using the three-component Stroop paradigm: word reading, color naming, and color-word interference. Interference indices (M/C and I/C) were computed as the ratio of interference time to color-naming and word-reading times, respectively

—

Countries

Tunisia

Contacts

Public ContactIsmail Dergaa

phd.dergaa@gmail.com+216773777

Outcome results

None listed

Source: PACTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Sep 19, 2026