Prevalence of Sleep Disorders and Disturbances in a DIII Population: Athletes v. Non-Athletes
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Presentation Type
Digital poster
Entry Number
207
School
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Department
Athletic Training
Keywords
sleep, sleep disorders, sleep disturbances, athlete, mental health, non-athletes, DIII.
Abstract
Background: Sleep is a critical factor in an athlete's health and performance, with extensive research currently focused primarily on DI, professional, and Olympic-level competitors. There is a critical lack of information regarding the sleep habits, disorders, and disturbances among NCAA Division III collegiate athletes, who typically have fewer institutional support systems than their higher-tier counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine if DIII athletes experience more sleep disorders than DIII non-athletes at the same institution by using a sleep survey.
Methodology: A total of 16 DIII collegiate student-athletes and 59 non-athlete students voluntarily completed an anonymous online survey. This included demographic information and three previously validated measures of sleep health: the Sleep Habits Index (SHI), the Sleep Disorders and Disturbances Index (SD/DI), and a modified Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (mSDQ). Each measure was scored independently, with higher scores indicating either healthier sleep habits (SHI) or a greater burden of disturbance (SD/DI, mSDQ). A Mann-Whitney U statistical analysis was used to compare scores between the athlete group and the non-athlete group.
Results: Varsity athletes reported significantly fewer sleep disorders and disturbances on the SD/DI compared with non-athletes (median = 18.18 vs 36.36; P = .003, r = -0.34). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding general sleep habits on the SHI (median = 66.67 vs 66.67; P = .94) or modified Sleep Disorders Questionnaire scores (P = .13).
Conclusion: DIII varsity athletes reported significantly fewer sleep disturbances than their non-athlete peers. These findings suggest that the structured routines, regular physical exertion, and built-in social support of DIII athletics, which may be lacking for non-athletes, may serve as a protective factor for sleep health. It also demonstrates that research from higher competition levels cannot be generalized to the Division III population. This highlights the need for tailored clinical monitoring and further longitudinal research across varying levels of collegiate sports.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Tom Bowman
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Athletic Training, Director of University Research Center
Rights Statement
The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.
Poster
Prev of Sleep Disturb_ EHenderson Voiceover.m4a (2385 kB)
Audio
Prevalence of Sleep Disorders and Disturbances in a DIII Population: Athletes v. Non-Athletes
Background: Sleep is a critical factor in an athlete's health and performance, with extensive research currently focused primarily on DI, professional, and Olympic-level competitors. There is a critical lack of information regarding the sleep habits, disorders, and disturbances among NCAA Division III collegiate athletes, who typically have fewer institutional support systems than their higher-tier counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine if DIII athletes experience more sleep disorders than DIII non-athletes at the same institution by using a sleep survey.
Methodology: A total of 16 DIII collegiate student-athletes and 59 non-athlete students voluntarily completed an anonymous online survey. This included demographic information and three previously validated measures of sleep health: the Sleep Habits Index (SHI), the Sleep Disorders and Disturbances Index (SD/DI), and a modified Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (mSDQ). Each measure was scored independently, with higher scores indicating either healthier sleep habits (SHI) or a greater burden of disturbance (SD/DI, mSDQ). A Mann-Whitney U statistical analysis was used to compare scores between the athlete group and the non-athlete group.
Results: Varsity athletes reported significantly fewer sleep disorders and disturbances on the SD/DI compared with non-athletes (median = 18.18 vs 36.36; P = .003, r = -0.34). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding general sleep habits on the SHI (median = 66.67 vs 66.67; P = .94) or modified Sleep Disorders Questionnaire scores (P = .13).
Conclusion: DIII varsity athletes reported significantly fewer sleep disturbances than their non-athlete peers. These findings suggest that the structured routines, regular physical exertion, and built-in social support of DIII athletics, which may be lacking for non-athletes, may serve as a protective factor for sleep health. It also demonstrates that research from higher competition levels cannot be generalized to the Division III population. This highlights the need for tailored clinical monitoring and further longitudinal research across varying levels of collegiate sports.