# Understanding Sleep Health in Judo Referees: The Influence of Demographic and Athletic Factors
## 4 Discussion
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Type**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Effect**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Estimate**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**SE**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**95\% C.I. (a)**} & \multirow{2}{*}{\(\beta\)} & \multirow{2}{*}{**z**} & \multirow{2}{*}{\(p\)**} \\ \cline{4-9} \cline{8-9}  & & & & & **Lower** & & **Upper** & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{**Type**} & **RS1\(\Rightarrow\)Age**\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & 0.976 & 0.4673 & 0.0603 & 1.8919 & 0.2320 & 2.089 & **0.037** \\  & **RS2\(\Rightarrow\)Age**\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & \(-\)1.006 & 0.4822 & \(-\)1.9513 & \(-\)0.0611 & \(-\)0.2297 & \(-\)2.087 & **0.037** \\  & **RS3\(\Rightarrow\)Age**\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & \(-\)1.442 & 0.7353 & \(-\)2.8829 & \(-\)7.11 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\) & \(-\)0.2323 & \(-\)1.961 & **0.050** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{**Type**} & **RS1\(\Rightarrow\)Age** & \(-\)7.593 & 1.6054 & \(-\)10.7398 & \(-\)4.4467 & \(-\)0.5787 & \(-\)4.730 & **<0.001** \\  & **Age\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & \(-\)0.129 & 0.0552 & \(-\)0.2368 & \(-\)0.0203 & \(-\)0.4009 & \(-\)2.328 & **0.020** \\  & **RS2\(\Rightarrow\)Age** & 7.827 & 1.6643 & 4.5653 & 11.0894 & 0.5729 & 4.703 & **<0.001** \\  & **RS3\(\Rightarrow\)Age** & 11.216 & 3.0839 & 5.1719 & 17.2606 & 0.5794 & 3.637 & **<0.001** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{**Type**} & **RS1\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & \(-\)0.387 & 0.8656 & \(-\)2.0840 & 1.3090 & \(-\)0.0921 & \(-\)0.448 & 0.654 \\  & **RS2\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & \(-\)0.342 & 0.8961 & \(-\)2.0982 & 1.4147 & \(-\)0.0780 & \(-\)0.381 & 0.703 \\  & **RS3\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & 1.649 & 1.5810 & \(-\)1.4493 & 4.7481 & 0.2658 & 1.043 & 0.297 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{**Type**} & **RS1\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & 0.589 & 0.7903 & \(-\)0.9604 & 2.1376 & 0.1399 & 0.745 & 0.456 \\  & **RS2\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & \(-\)1.348 & 0.8193 & \(-\)2.9538 & 0.2579 & \(-\)0.3077 & \(-\)1.645 & 0.100 \\ \cline{1-1}  & **RS3\(\Rightarrow\)PSQI **Total** & 0.208 & 1.5182 & \(-\)2.7679 & 3.1832 & 0.0335 & 0.137 & 0.891 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 8: Mediation analysis of the effect of referee seniority/qualification level on PSQI total via age. implementation of tailored intervention protocols specifically designed for officials with predominantly athletic career trajectories is strongly recommended. Given that all of the referees had a history of sportsmanship, it is presumed that they did not receive any training in sleep awareness and consciousness, either during their sportsmanship careers or in their professional refereeing careers. The fast-paced nature of judo matches, and the importance of decision-making skills, mean that a lack of sleep is likely to affect the analytical abilities of referees [40], as well as their mood [41] and ability to sustain attention [42]. Furthermore, it has been linked to stress management [43], mental health [44; 45], fatigue, anger and unhappiness [46], and depression and anxiety [30]. It is well documented that referees, like athletes participating in international competitions, experience suboptimal sleep quality due to factors such as inadequate sleep duration, extended travel, and jet lag [22]. This might explain why the results obtained from the regression analysis, which took into account athletic background alongside gender and age, were poorer, as the participants might have carried this negative experience into their second career as referees. The mediation results showed that older referees generally reported better sleep. Elite referees undergo a long educational process with many practical seminars for which they need to be in solid physical condition [47]. Therefore, an active role as a judo referee means a long-term engagement in physical activity, and this has been shown to be strongly associated with enhanced cardiovascular function, metabolic health, and reduced risk of chronic diseases [48].