Background: Sleep inadequacy has been studied extensively in the general population as a pernicious problem that hinders health and performance. Considering collegiate athletes, current research suggests that inadequate sleep makes athletes subject to sport performance deficits and increased injury risk. However, current research is limited in this population due to small sample sizes and non-specific questionnaires.

Objective: This study assessed sleep disturbance in collegiate soccer and basketball players.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. One hundred and forty-five eligible Division 1 student-athletes were invited to complete the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) to self-assess any sleep difficulty based on a combination of questions, including the quantity and quality of their sleep.

Results: A total of 127 student-athletes completed aspects of the ASSQ [48.8% female; mean age (range) of 20.1 ± 1.63 (18-28) years]. Of the 127 student-athletes, 63 student-athletes completed all five questionnaire items used to calculate a sleep difficulty score (SDS). Overall, 21% of the student-athletes had at least mild sleep difficulty. Three (23%) of the student-athletes with sleep difficulty had severe sleep difficulty; amounting to 5% (3/63) of the cohort that completed all the questions relating to the SDS. Additionally, sleep difficulty was almost twice as prevalent in females (27.3%) compared to males (14.8%).

Conclusion: These findings support the prevalence of inadequate sleep in collegiate athletes. Considering the health and performance deficits that result from poor sleep quality and quantity, future interventions to improve sleep for this population are necessary.

Abby would like to thank their faculty sponsor Dr. Oluwatoyosi Owoeye for their support of this project.