An Analysis of the Amount of Sleep and the Effects It Has on Athletic Capabilities and Routine Tasks in College Athletes

Abstract

College student athletes are under a lot of pressure to accomplish all that is expected of them which may lead to other areas of their lives being neglected, including sleep. The amount of sleep a student athlete gets is crucial in their accomplishments both off and on the field. The researchers chose to investigate how the amount of sleep an athlete gets affects their day to day life. Specifically, the researchers explored the correlation between the amount of sleep an athlete got and how positively they rated their day through an online daily survey throughout a two week span of 10 days. Participants of the study hailed from a Lutheran, faith-based institution of higher education in an urban area of the Midwestern United States. The research showed that it did not matter the amount of sleep the athlete got the night prior that determined their performance the following day. The study thoroughly addressed the relationship between stresses on athletes that impaired their sleep schedules and the aftereffects in both their academic and athletic performances in school and on the field.