0236 Team-Based Athletes Sleep Less Than Individual Athletes, But Do Not Report More Insomnia or Fatigue

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Collegiate student-athletes face challenges balancing academics and athletics, and getting an adequate amount of sleep is one factor that can assist in sustaining an elite level of play. Team-based sports may present with systematically different sets of demands. Methods Data were obtained at the start of the academic semester from N=189 NCAA Division-1 athletes from a wide range of sports. The sample was 46% female. Individuals were classified as playing in a team sport (e.g., football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball) or an individual sport (e.g., swimming, track, golf). Sleep-related outcomes included self-reported sleep duration and sleep latency, frequency of sleeping pill use (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often), Insomnia Severity Index score, and Fatigue Severity Scale score. Regression analyses were adjusted for age and sex. Results In adjusted analyses, team-based athletes reported 22.4 minutes less sleep than individual athletes (95%CI -42.8,-1.9; p<0.05). They also reported 5.6 less minutes of sleep latency (95%CI -10.8,-0.3; p<0.05). More frequent sleeping pill use was also reported (oOR=0.96; 95%CI: 0.26,1.67; p=0.007). They did not report any differences in insomnia or daytime fatigue levels. Conclusion These results suggest that even though team-based athletes may not report more sleep complaints or daytime complaints, they may be at increased risk for less sleep and more sleep medication. Further work is needed to identify the sources of these differences to guide interventions. Support The REST study was funded by an NCAA Innovations grant. Dr. Grandner is supported by R01MD011600