Two sleep-related factors are linked to depression among collegiate athletes, according to a study

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Two particular aspects of sleep have been identified as mediating the association between general sleep disruptions and the degree of depression among college student athletes in a new study that will be presented at the SLEEP 2023 annual meeting.n nResults indicate that this relationship’s reported sleep quality was significantly mediated. Surprisingly, neither the length of sleep nor how long it takes to fall asleep acted as a reliable mediator.nnThe main author, Kelly Kim, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, said that the findings “shed light on which precise sleep facets underlie the relationship between sleep disturbances and depression.” It is remarkable that despite the fact that athletes frequently report short sleep duration and long sleep onset latency (particularly for college student athletes), the difficulty sustaining sleep and sleep quality that drive the relationship between sleep and depression.?

According to the authors, prior epidemiological research has established the general relationship between sleep disturbances and depression. However, there is a need to delineate the specific aspects of this relationship more clearly.n

The study involved 993 student athletes from schools in the Pac-12. Participants completed sleep and health questionnaires. Statistical analyses were performed using parallel multiple mediator models to understand whether the relationship between depression severity was mediated by sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep onset latency, and difficulty maintaining sleep.n

Kim noted that the findings are useful because they identify potential treatment targets for a widespread problem.n

“The results are important because of how prevalent sleep disorders?especially insomnia?and depression are in athletes, specifically in college student athletes,” she said.n

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep.