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The associations among athlete status, sleep, and well-being in a large national sample of college students.

O'Neil B, O'Rourke C, Linss H, Anderson AR. · Journal of American college health : J of ACH · 2026

This study examined how sleep patterns might explain differences in well-being (flourishing) between college athletes and non-athletes. Athletes reported better sleep quality, more consistent sleep schedules between weekdays and weekends, longer overall sleep, and more frequent napping than non-athletes, and these sleep factors were associated with higher well-being scores, though the connections were modest.
Takeaway: Prioritize consistent sleep schedules and adequate sleep duration as part of supporting your overall well-being as an athlete.
Abstract (source)

Objective: College students, specifically student athletes, experience environments that can support and create barriers to flourishing, a form of well-being reflecting positive functioning in relationships, self-esteem,

Purpose: , and optimism. Sleep is one factor that can have implications for student athletes' flourishing. This study explored whether sleep characteristics, including duration, quality, and napping, accounted for part of the association between athlete status and flourishing, as measured using the eight-item Flourishing Scale. Participants: Using the Fall 2022 National College Health Assessment ( N = 28,608), structural equation models assessed these associations.

Results: Compared with non-athletes, athletes reported better sleep quality, smaller weekday-weekend differences in sleep duration, and longer sleep duration. Athletes also reported more frequent and longer naps. These sleep factors were associated with flourishing although indirect associations were small ( β Conculsion: Overall, athletes reported several favorable sleep characteristics relative to non-athletes, alongside more frequent and longer naps. Sleep remains important in understanding student athletes' flourishing.

Primary studyRecovery & Sleep
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