Sleep problems are associated with academic performance in a national sample of collegiate athletes

Abstract

Objective

Examine associations between a range of sleep problems and academic performance in a national sample of collegiate athletes. Participants: Data were obtained from the National College Health Assessment of US college/university students from 2011–2014 (N = 8,312 collegiate athletes). Methods: Univariate comparisons for all sleep variables and demographics were stratified across GPA, using one-way ANOVA for continuous variables and chi-square for categorical variables. Multinomial logistic regression models, with GPA as outcome (reference = A) and sleep variable as predictor, were examined and adjusted for age, sex, and survey year. Ordinal regression examined a 1-level change in GPA associated with each sleep variable, adjusted for covariates. Results: Sleep difficulty was associated with increased likelihood of B/C averages. Initial-insomnia was associated with increased likelihood of B/C, and D/F averages. Tiredness was associated with increased likelihood of B/C, and D/F averages. Conclusions: Sleep problems are highly prevalent and associated with poorer academic performance in collegiate athletes.

Keywords:

• Collegiate athletes
• athletics
• academic performance
• sleep
• sleep problems
• insomnia

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by K23HL110216, R01MD011600, and an Innovations grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

This study was supported by a 1K01AG05462-01A1 grant from the National Institute of Aging and a R25HL10544-08 grant from the National Heart Lung Blood Institute for the NYU Behavioral Sleep Medicine PRIDE Program.