INTRODUCTION: According to recent research, sleep is directly related to the individual`s sports performance, which means that better sleep quality is an important element contributing to a better physical and emotional recovery for the athlete. However, stress and traveling may be factors that lead to poor sleep quantity and quality, which can be the cause of decrements in performance and increased risk of illness. The aim of this study was to compare the sleep quality perception in handball players to their stress levels, fatigue, mental and muscle soreness perception. METHODS: Twenty-four male Portuguese handball athletes completed a questionnaire based on the Hooper Scale, to assess the quality of the previous night`s sleep, stress levels, fatigue levels and perceived muscle damage, during handball training before pre-Olympic games. This questionnaire consists of 5 self-rated items and each question is individually scored on a scale from 1 ("Very, very low or good") to 5 ("Very, very high or bad"). This relation was evaluated by Pearson correlation, statistical level of p<0.05 was accepted. RESULTS: 24 athletes, in average, reported that sleep quality perception was 3.4±0.8, which 90,5% had a "good sleep". Fatigue level was 3.9±0.6; mental state was 4.5±0.8 and energy perception was 4.0±0.8. Athletes with better perception of sleep quality felt significantly less fatigue (r = 0.465; p = 0.034), felt psychological better (r = 0.609, p = 0.003), and reported a significantly higher level of energy (r = 0.484, p = 0.026) and nonphysical muscle soreness. Athletes with a that felt less fatigue had a significantly higher level of psychological state (r = 0.726, p <0.001) and energy perception (r = 0.804, p = 0.000). Athletes with higher psychological state had a significantly higher energy perception (r = 0.822, p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Handball athletes, before pre-Olympic games, who report a good quality of sleep have a positive mental state, more energy perception, less level of fatigue physical and less muscle soreness. The process of monitoring will help prescribe the correct dosage of training in order to maximize athlete performance and to implement the appropriate recovery protocols (rest, nutrition, and others).
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