Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 3, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression

Published on: April 26, 2024

Mental Health in Student Athletes: Associations With Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality, Insomnia, Fatigue, and Sleep

Michael A Grandner¹, Christina Hall¹, Anjelica Jaszewski¹

¹Sleep and Health Research Program (MAG, CH, AJ, PA-M, JG) and the SCAN Lab, Department of Psychiatry (WDSK), and the Department of Athletics (AA), University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.

Athletic Training & Sports Health Care

|July 25, 2022

Abstract

Purpose:

To quantify the relationship between sleep difficulties and poor mental health among student athletes using validated measures.

Methods:

Data were collected from 190 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student athletes. Sleep assessments included measures of sleep duration, sleep quality, insomnia, fatigue, and sleep apnea symptoms. Mental well-being was assessed as depression, anxiety, mental health days, stress, and social support from family, friends, significant other, and teammates.

Results:

Shorter sleep duration, poor sleep quality, insomnia, and fatigue were consistently and independently associated with stress, depression, anxiety, mental health days, and social support. Sleep apnea symptoms were associated with stress, depression, and social support.

Conclusions:

Short sleep duration, poor sleep quality, and daytime fatigue in student athletes are all associated with depression, anxiety, stress, poor mental health days, and decreased social support. These associations are not accounted for solely by stress.

More Related Videos

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory

Published on: June 18, 2014

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice

Published on: September 22, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...

Correlations

Correlations

Correlation means that there is a relationship between two or more variables (such as ice cream consumption and crime), but this relationship does not necessarily imply cause and effect. When two variables are correlated, it simply means that as one variable changes, so does the other. We can measure correlation by calculating a statistic known as a correlation coefficient. A correlation coefficient is a number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between...

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:

Understanding Sleep

Understanding Sleep

Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Association between circadian rest-activity rhythm and meal timing: NHANES 2013-2014.

Sleep health·2026

Oscillatory network efficiency predicts mood and fatigue during sleep deprivation.

Communications biology·2026

Study Design and Conceptual Framework of an Observational Study of Food Insecurity and Life's Essential 8 in College Students: The FRESH Study.

Journal of the American Heart Association·2026

Winding down for the night: changes in thalamocortical connectivity before bed are associated with subsequent sleep-stage duration.

Neuroreport·2026

Racial Differences in Self-Reported Sleep Continuity Disturbance, Problem Endorsement, and Daytime Dysfunction Among Black and White Non-Hispanic Adults in the United States.

Nature and science of sleep·2026

The Natural History of Insomnia: Sleep Opportunity Extension Following a Poor Night of Sleep Is Not Related to the Transition From Acute to Chronic Insomnia.

Journal of sleep research·2026

See all related articles