These instructions guide authors through manuscript preparation and submission to the Journal of Sleep, Health, and Physiotherapy. Reading them carefully before submitting avoids documentary adjustments and accelerates the editorial process. Submission is exclusively through the online system — start at Submit Manuscript.

1. Mandatory Files

Every submission requires two files:

• Identified manuscript — complete version with the title page: full title, short title (running head), all authors with affiliations and ORCID iDs, corresponding author with e-mail, acknowledgements, funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions (CRediT), ethics approval, informed consent, data availability and AI-use statements.
• Anonymized manuscript — same body text with all identifying elements removed: author names, institutions, e-mails, identifiable acknowledgements, self-citations that reveal authorship (cite as "Author, year" when unavoidable) and internal document metadata.

Accepted formats: DOC, DOCX, PDF, ODT, RTF. Supplementary files (datasets, instruments, additional tables) are optional.

2. General Formatting

• A4 page, 2.5 cm margins, 12-pt font, 1.5 line spacing;
• Continuous line numbering and numbered pages;
• Title in the manuscript language and in English; abstract of up to 300 words; 3 to 6 keywords (prefer DeCS/MeSH descriptors);
• Languages accepted: English, Portuguese or Spanish — with English title, abstract and keywords mandatory.

3. Structure by Article Type

Original articles (up to 5,000 words): Introduction; Methods (design, participants, instruments — including validated sleep, pain or functional measures where applicable; procedures; statistical analysis; ethics approval with protocol number); Results; Discussion (with limitations); Conclusion. Systematic reviews must follow PRISMA and state registration (e.g., PROSPERO). Clinical trials must follow CONSORT and report prospective registration. Reporting guidelines appropriate to the design (STROBE, CARE, SRQR, TRIPOD) should be followed and may be requested.

4. Tables, Figures and Data

Tables and figures are inserted in the manuscript body, numbered in citation order, each with a self-explanatory title and source when applicable. Figures must be legible at final size; high-resolution versions (≥300 dpi) may be requested on acceptance. Underlying data should preferably be deposited in a recognized repository and referenced in the Data Availability Statement.

5. References — ABNT or APA

The journal accepts references in ABNT (NBR 6023) or APA 7th edition. Choose one style and apply it consistently — mixing styles is not accepted. All references must be cited in the text and vice versa; DOIs must be informed whenever they exist.

5.1 ABNT (NBR 6023) — citation and examples

In-text citation by author and year: (ANDERSON; PEREIRA, 2025) or, in the sentence, "according to Anderson and Pereira (2025)". Reference list in alphabetical order:

• Journal article: ANDERSON, S.; PEREIRA, L. Actigraphy-based sleep parameters in chronic low back pain. Journal of Sleep, Health, and Physiotherapy, v. 1, n. 1, e26101, 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.99999/oxj.2026.0101.
• Book: COSTA, R. M. Reabilitação e movimento humano. 2. ed. São Paulo: Editora Clínica, 2024.
• Book chapter: WHITFIELD, J. Avaliação do sono. In: COSTA, R. M. (org.). Sono e saúde clínica. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Saúde, 2023. p. 30-52.
• Online document: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.who.int/publications/example. Acesso em: 12 jun. 2026.

5.2 APA (7th edition) — citation and examples

In-text citation author–date: (Anderson & Pereira, 2025); three or more authors: (Anderson et al., 2025). Reference list in alphabetical order, hanging indent:

• Journal article: Anderson, S., & Pereira, L. (2026). Actigraphy-based sleep parameters in chronic low back pain. Journal of Sleep, Health, and Physiotherapy, 1(1), e26101. https://doi.org/10.99999/oxj.2026.0101
• Book: Costa, R. M. (2024). Reabilitação e movimento humano (2nd ed.). Editora Clínica.
• Book chapter: Whitfield, J. (2023). Avaliação do sono. In R. M. Costa (Ed.), Sono e saúde clínica (pp. 30–52). Editora Saúde.
• Online document: World Health Organization. (2024). Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. https://www.who.int/publications/example

6. Mandatory Declarations

The submission wizard collects formal declarations of: research ethics (committee approval and protocol number for studies with human participants or animals), informed consent (when applicable), conflicts of interest, funding, data availability and use of artificial intelligence tools. These statements are published with the article. See Publication Ethics and AI Use Policy.

7. Submission, Evaluation and Publication

Submissions pass automatic documentary validation, editorial screening and double-blind peer review (minimum two reviewers). Decisions are communicated with the anonymized reviewer reports; revised versions require a point-by-point response letter. Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and layout, authors approve the final proof, and the article is published in open access with DOI-ready metadata. There is no submission fee and no APC; an optional fast track administrative service is available.

8. Checklist Before Submitting

• Identified and anonymized manuscripts prepared (metadata cleaned in the anonymous file);
• Abstract ≤ 300 words and 3–6 keywords, with English versions;
• Structure and word limit compatible with the article type;
• References complete and consistent in ABNT or APA 7, with DOIs;
• Ethics documentation in hand (approval number, consent);
• All authors aware of and in agreement with the submission.