Sleep-quality among girls with different involvement in competitive sports during fall in the Arctic Circle

Eight high-school girls participating in competitive sports and six non-participating girls living north of the polar circle recorded their sleep once a week during the Fall, including the period when the sun does not rise above the horizon. Sleep-quality scores were computed as the sum of answers identical to a present "right" answer indicating good sleep-quality. Significant differences on sleep-quality between the two groups were found, but a significant influence of amount of daylight or exercise could not be confirmed. When sleep-quality was ranked during three periods through the Fall, the girls participating in competitive sports showed a trend of increasing sleep-quality and the nonparticipants a decreasing one. An explanation based on influence of exercise thresholds upon sleep-quality is presented.