A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationship between Sleep and Nap Behavior of NCAA Division 1 Football Student-Athletes

Background of Study: Sleep is critical to basic human function and of utmost importance for recovery and performance for athletes. Student-athletes unique demands of concurrent athletic and academic commitments place further emphasis on the need for adequate sleep quality and quantity. Objective: This study describes the sleep and nap behavior of NCAA Division 1 Student-Athletes and assess the relationship between naps and nocturnal sleep. Method: A retrospective and observational design was used. Objective sleep data were collected using the OURA ring across two collegiate Football seasons. Results were categorized into sleep and nap occurrences. Univariate linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship between the presence and duration of a nap and a participants sleep. Results: The relationship between the presence of a nap (p = 0.012) and duration of a nap (p 0.001) and total sleep duration was observed. The presence (0.022) and duration (p 0.001) of a nap also significantly impacted the light phase of sleep. Conclusion: The use and duration of naps among student-athletes significantly impacts nighttime sleep, by means of decreasing total sleep duration and light phase sleep duration. These results highlight the need for educational intervention with such cohorts to enhance nighttime sleep and encourage healthy and evidence-based usage of naps.