Healthy Sleep Patterns

Cal State San Marcos Athletics

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Healthy Sleep Patterns

Stanford basketball players participated in a research project in which they slept for the recommended amount of time
and cut out caffeine and alcohol for 5-7 weeks. Shooting accuracy improved as the mean free throw percentage
increased by 9% and 3-point shot percentage by 9.2%.
Click here to see research

A recent PAC12 report indicated that 2/3 of student-athletes reported that the lack of flexible time within their schedules was the hardest thing about being a student-athlete. These student-athletes also reported that sleep was the first thing cut out of their demanding schedules. In fact, 77% of these student-athletes felt as if they got less sleep than their non-peer athlete
Focus Points: Proper Sleep Hygiene and How Sleep Impacts Athletic Performance

Quick Facts:

2/3 of student-athletes meet criteria for “poor sleep quality”
23% of student-athletes demonstrate high levels of fatigue
43% of student-athletes are getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night
Student-athletes that experience sleep problems are more likely to have worse mental health, worse physical health, lower levels of academic achievement, lower levels of athletic achievement, and worse social functioning than student-athletes that do not have sleep problems.

Information from University of Arizona’s ProjectREST

Click here to see research

Tips for Good Sleep Hygiene:

7-9 hours is recommended for college students (even on the weekends)
Turn your digital devices off
It’s best to do this one hour before bed
Keep your room dark
This signals to your brain that it is time to sleep
Keep a cool temperature
The temperature recommendation while sleeping is between 65-72 degrees
Keep your sleep consistent
It’s best to have at least 3 days of consistent sleep (same time/amount of hours) prior to a competition/game
Create and maintain a relaxing bedtime routine
This could include taking a warm shower, reading a book, and lighting a candle. It can be whatever works best for you, but you should avoid screen time.
Pay attention to what you eat/drink
Avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bed
Although alcohol may help you fall asleep, it may cause you to wake up during the night and struggle to fall back asleep