Poor Sleep Nearly Doubles a Runner’s Risk of Injury, Study Finds

Key Takeaways

Runners with poor sleep were 1.78 times more likely to be injured68% of poor sleepers reported an injury within one yearExperts say seven to nine hours of quality sleep can reduce injury risk and improve performance

THURSDAY, Nov. 13, 2025 (HealthDay News) — If you’re a regular runner, logging miles on little sleep might be doing more harm than you think.

A new study found that runners who slept poorly were nearly twice as likely to get hurt.

The study, published in the journal Applied Sciences , surveyed 425 recreational runners and tracked their sleep habits and injuries over a year.

Participants who reported shorter sleep duration, poorer sleep quality or frequent sleep problems were 1.78 times more likely to be injured, with a 68% chance of suffering from an injury