Writer Biography

Lainey Boulton is a hard-working freshman at Utah State University. She is the oldest of three kids in her family. She loves to dance, read, and hang out with friends. Lainey is currently working as a part-time dental assistant. She wants to major in Dental Hygiene. She enjoys writing, likes learning, and has so much fun in English class.

This essay was composed in November 2022 in an English 1010 class. Boulton uses MLA documentation.

MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH the term sleep disorder. It is a common problem among the general public, but many people are probably unaware of how common it is in athletes. Being an athlete can be extremely stressful, whether competing for a college or earning a living as a professional athlete. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Sleep disorders (or sleep-wake disorders) involve problems with the quality, timing, and amount of sleep which results in daytime distress and impairment in functioning” (“What Are Sleep Disorders?”). Turning to athletes, we can only imagine how big of an impact sleeping disorders would have on their performance. Some of the most common sleep disorders in athletes are trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, sleep apnea, insomnia, hypersomnia, and restless legs syndrome. These disorders can make being an athlete difficult as they are constantly being evaluated on their level of performance, and most of the time, these disorders are caused by an athlete’s mental health.

Being an athlete is already challenging both physically and mentally. The pressure to perform at the highest level of ability is ever-present. The demands and expectations can be draining without any sleep issues. Adding these issues to an athlete can lead to underlying problems, causing them to perform not to the best of their abilities. Despite the serious consequences sleep disorders can cause, athletes don’t always consider sleep an important part of their athletic performance. They know that eating, conditioning, and training are important. They also have to take care of injuries and grades if they are student-athletes, but sleep isn’t usually emphasized as a significant factor. Not only do athletes’ bodies need rest, but without getting the rest they need, it can cause damage to their performance and health. The article “Sleep, Athletic Performance, and Recovery” states, “Poor quality and quantity of sleep lead to several negative effects in any person. Mentally, sleep deprivation reduces the ability to react quickly and think clearly. People who are sleep deprived are more likely to make poor decisions and take risks” (Fry). These negative consequences reiterate the importance of sleep and that not getting the right amount will reduce a person’s reaction time and decision-making ability during a performance which ultimately can be a huge issue for athletes, especially those in fast-moving sports. Along with being unable to think clearly, sleep deprivation can cause athletes to be unable to perform to the best of their abilities.

In another article, “Sleep and Mental Health Issues in Current and Former Athletes: A Mini Review,” Ashley Montero and their colleagues explain, “Importantly for athletes, the cyclical nature of poor sleep and mental ill-health can significantly hinder sporting performance and manifest into a more serious disorder, becoming a burden to general health and wellbeing” (Montero et al.). Both articles explain that mental health issues, such as depression, can affect sleep patterns. Even if the athlete is getting sleep, they may not get restful sleep on the macro or micro level, resulting in poor performance. Adequate sleep is just as important as treating eating disorders and tending to injuries. Most college and professional athletes do more than just their sport. College athletes go to school, worry about grades, take tests, experience social situations, and make decisions that will impact their lives. Professional athletes must attend team promotions, business meetings, and press junkets while worrying about trades and negotiating contracts. Sleep might not always be their priority, but they must realize how it will affect their performance.

Mental health issues are a huge contributing factor to sleep disorders among athletes. Being an athlete isn’t easy. The pressure to impress someone, to always be perfect, and to look the part is ever-present. Mentally being an athlete is a lot of work and can sometimes be overwhelming. In the text, Montero continues to explain, “Athletes experience less sleep than they require, and the quality of their sleep is generally poor. Training schedules, competition timing, and travel contributed to their variable and poor sleep. High stress and worry from competitive sports can increase sleep latency, further impairing sleep quality” (Montero et al.). This part of the article explains that mental health can greatly impact whether or not athletes have sleep disorders. Although mental health can be a big factor in contributing to sleep disorders, sleep disorders also can cause mental health issues. Eric Suni explains in “Mental Health and Sleep,” “[I]t is becoming clear that there is a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health in which sleep problems may be both a cause and consequence of health problems” (Suni). Both Montero et al. and Suni reiterate how not getting enough sleep and resting the body can cause stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can fail to become a better athlete. Sleep deprivation can become a continual cycle of worry, lack of sleep, worry that you didn’t sleep and can’t sleep because you are worried, and so forth. Either symptom—the sleep or mental issue—will exacerbate the other.

Not only does sleep deprivation impact an athlete’s mental health, a problem with sleep disorders can affect their physical health. The effect of being constantly tired and not fully attentive can cause athletes many injuries and struggles. The article “How Inadequate Sleep Affects an Athlete’s Performance” explains, “Poor sleep can also affect the immune system leaving athletes more susceptible to illness. In contact sports, this means an athlete with a weakened immune system is at risk of spreading illnesses to the whole team” (“How Inadequate Sleep”). This part of the article demonstrates that the athlete’s body is greatly affected by sleeping disorders. Even if mental issues are not impacting an athlete’s sleep, they are still greatly affected by lack of sleep and especially prolonged nights of sleep issues. The article “5 Areas Sleep Has the Greatest Impact on Athletic Performance” explains, “When it comes to sleep recovery, short sleep periods also don’t provide the body with the time to regenerate cells and repair from the abuse of workouts, games, and daily activities. This means that not only can sleep deprivation take players out of the game through injuries, but it can also keep them out longer due to slower recovery” (“5 Areas”). Both articles explain that sleep disorders greatly impact mental health. It affects athletes in ways that can ruin how they perform. Add in a mental issue, and the likelihood of an injury, sickness, or diminished cognitive ability increases greatly.

While sleep disorders have mental and physical consequences for athletes, having a specific type of sleep disorder can affect athletes differently. Athletes are most commonly diagnosed with insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. Returning to Montero et al.’s review of the impacts of sleep and mental health on athletes, they explain, “The psychological demands of sports, performance anxiety and overthink delaying sleep behaviors can play a role in the development of these symptoms, Within athletes, up to 45% report, or have shown to suffer from OSA; however previous OSA research in sports has focused on collision sports (e.g., American football, rugby) players of these sports of ten have large body mass  indices and neck circumference which despite being advantageous to participate in collision sports do predispose these athletes to not only OSA but other health issues later.” (Montero et al.). OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder that occurs when the airway is partially or completely obstructed when a person sleeps. Their review demonstrates that athletes tend to have OSA over other sleep disorders. It also calls attention to those players who play collision sports that are more likely to have OSA because of how their bodies are affected by the sport. Anna Johansson explains in “Why Athletes Are at Greater Risk of Sleep Disorders,” “Many student-athletes experience significant levels of sleep deprivation; however, due to efforts to balance sports and academics, they may also suffer from frequent jet lag” (Johansson). Both Montero et al. and Johansson explain the specific types of sleep disorders that can have the biggest effect on athletes.

Works Cited

“5 Areas Sleep Has the Greatest Impact on Athletic Performance.” Fatigue Science, Fatigue Science, 7 May 2019, https://fatiguescience.com/blog/5-ways-sleep-impacts-peak-athletic-performance/.

Fry, Alexa. “Sleep, Athletic Performance, and Recovery.” Sleep Foundation, OneCare Media, 13 April 2022, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/athletic-performance-and-sleep.

“How Inadequate Sleep Affects an Athlete’s Performance.” Sleep Cycle Center, Sleep Apnea Leads, https://www.sleepcyclecenters.com/blog/how-inadequate-sleep-affects-an-athletes-performance/.

Johansson, Anna. “Why Athletes Are at Greater Risk of Sleep Disorders (and How to Fix It). Stack, Stack Sports, 29 August 2021, https://www.stack.com/a/why-athletes-are-at-greater-risk-of-sleep-disorders-and-what-you-can-do-to-fix-it/.

Montero, Ashley, et al. “Sleep and Mental Health Issues in Current and Former Athletes: A Mini Review.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, Apr. 2022, p. 868614. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.868614.

Suni, Eric. “Mental Health and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, OneCare Media, 4 November 2022, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health.

“What Are Sleep Disorders?” American Psychiatric Association, APA, August 2020, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/sleep-disorders/what-are-sleep-disorders.

Works Consulted

Gardner, Michael. “Mind, Body and Sport: Sleeping Disorders.” NCAA: Sport Science Institute, NCAA, https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2014/11/5/mind-body-and-sport-sleeping-disorders.aspx.

Halson, Shona L. “Sleep and Athletes.” Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, July 2017, https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/sse-167-sleep-and-athletes.

Watson, Andrew. “Sleep and Athletic Performance.” Current Sports Medicine Reports, vol. 16, no. 6, Nov. 2017, pp. 413-18, 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000418.