The excerpt Mind Body and Sport Sleeping disorders from the NCAA explains more of what athletes sleep is affected by the most The main barriers to an athlete getting proper sleep are stress and time Time seems to be packed and chaotic most days for an athlete In college student athletes are having to keep up with the timing of games practices travel and workouts while managing their conflicts with classes or social time With the extra time demands on an athlete they can easily become stressed and lose sleep opportunities In fact a NCAA study reports that one third of student athletes get fewer than seven hours of sleep a night
Proper sleep benefits athletes overall More specifically getting enough sleep will help improve an athletes performance and maintain stress levels As a current student athlete I have personally experienced the stress of playing a sport in college I have been an athlete at my university for three years now and I am still learning how to manage the stress of it and keeping positive sleep habits I can tell you its not easy It always seems like I have something to do Class work continues to increase as the semester progresses while my sport requires me to be at something at least four to five times a week Not to mention those somethings my sport has me at are always physically demanding I am constantly being pulled in different directions and the continuous running around often creates stress It all takes a toll on my body and mind This also leaves a lot of room for my sleep schedule to suffer
Stress impacts sleep in many ways The article Sleep and Mood with Harvard Medical Department helps explain how stress can affect sleep Stress often makes the body aroused and alert Since stress has this effect on the body it makes it more difficult for a person to wind down and be able to truly rest Sleep problems are more prone to happen for anyone under increased amounts of stress especially student athletes
One of the best ways an athlete can combat the demands of playing a sport in college is to create positive daily habits Having good daily habits or a routine will help make the busy schedule seem manageable and lessen stress levels by using time effectively Below is a list of ideas or practices that I have personally used or seen teammates use to help balance everything as a student athlete
Write your schedule and assignments in a weekly planner
Break down working on large assignments into multiple days
Spend at least 30 minutes a day practicing self care
Taking a long shower
Journaling
Reading
Watching your favorite show
Take time to decompress before trying to fall asleep
Find a support system in counselors family friends or etc
The list could go on and on but these are five things that have made a direct impact on me and have allowed me to decrease stress or time management issues in my life here at school These practices have also helped me get better sleep because I dont have this constant stress or busy schedule that weighs me down
Being a student athlete presents many challenges such as the stress mentioned before that impact many aspects of a persons life Being able to manage stress levels will only help when trying to get good sleep In turn being able to get good sleep will help athletes face the physical and mental stressors the next day week or season will present
Sleep doesnt just have physical effects on athletes but it also has mental effects By having better sleeping patterns you can improve performance mental strength consistency reduce the risk of injuries and fatigue Whether youre competing at the highest level or just playing for fun the importance of sleep is unmatched
Alaska Sleep Clinic is one of the only sleep clinics in Alaska with a Pediatric Medical Director We take your childs sleep seriously and are ready to help you diagnose and treat their sleep issues
The great news is that when sleep apnea is discovered and treated correctly in someone 18 and under the probability is high that they will grow out of the issue and have fantastic sleep the rest of their life
Hannah Rady is a junior from Anderson University majoring in public relations and minoring in journalism and sport marketing Hannah is an associate with Fifth Street Communications® a student run public relations agency at Anderson University
