Background: Sleep is considered an essential component related to physiological and psychological recovery in athletes and particularly in basketball, given the impact of condensed travel and game schedules on player health and performance. Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to examine studies published to date on sleep and basketball performance. Methodology: All scientific articles that reported a relationship between sleep and its possible impact on performance in basketball are included. The research processes followed the PRISMA criteria, and the relevant articles were extracted (PubMed, WOS, Scopus) as of December 31, 2021. Results: Twenty-eight articles were selected for inclusion and data extraction, with 27 demonstrating that sleep is a vital component in the recovery of basketball players and their corresponding on-court performance. Three central themes that we identified: (1) the quality and extension of sleep (the better quality and more extension of sleep, better performance and lower probability of injury); (2) influence of the players circadian rhythm (travel and game scheduling do not currently facilitate or take this into account); and (3) higher training loads and/or increased stress may jeopardize a subsequent good night’s sleep, which should be taken into account when scheduling practices and workouts. Conclusion: The current systematic review regarding sleep and basketball performance and highlights that there is a strong relationship between both variables. Collectively, the evidence supports the critical influence of sleep on player recovery and basketball performance and risk for injury.

Background: Basketball is an intermittent sport characterized by repeated high-intensity efforts interspersed with periods of active recovery. The physical and cognitive demands of the sport expose its players to multiple sources of stress, which may be associated with alterations in sleep and, in turn, with changes in athletic performance. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize available evidence on whether stress-related sleep disturbances are associated with changes in specific performance factors in basketball players. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus (January 2010–July 2025). Studies assessing stress, sleep, and at least one performance-related outcome in basketball players were included. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Oxford Levels of Evidence and design-specific critical appraisal tools for observational and non-randomized studies. Due to methodological heterogeneity, no meta-analysis was performed, and a qualitative descriptive synthesis was performed. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number: 1185938). Of the 202 records identified, 23 remained after screening, and 14 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis, requiring the assessment of stress, sleep, and performance outcomes in basketball players. Results: Most included studies reported associative relationships between competition or training-related stress and reduced sleep quality or duration, as well as alterations in selected basketball performance outcomes. Across studies, patterns emerged linking elevated competitive and personal stress, insufficient sleep and recovery outcomes, and performance-related changes, despite substantial variability in study design and measurement approaches. Conclusions: Overall, the evidence suggests that basketball-specific performance factors may be sensitive to stress-related sleep disturbances. These associative patterns underscore the importance of considering psychological well-being, recovery strategies, and sleep management in applied basketball contexts. Rather than supporting prescriptive intervention models, the findings highlight the value of integrated monitoring approaches that combine stress, sleep, and performance assessment to support player readiness and performance outcomes.