Differences In Sleep Patterns Between College Varsity Athletes And Non-athlete Controls Disappear In Midlife

INTRODUCTION: Sleep is important for recovery in athletes and essential to maintaining good health throughout the lifespan. As athletes retire from sports, their sleep patterns may change. However, there is limited comparison of sleep patterns between young and midlife adults, and it is unknown how prior college sport participation impacts these outcomes. PURPOSE: Compare device-measured sleep patterns in young adult college varsity athletes, midlife former college varsity athletes, and healthy matched controls. METHODS: Young (age 18-25 yrs) and midlife former (age 40-64 yrs) college athletes and sex- and age-matched non-athlete controls wore an activPAL accelerometer on the right thigh for 14 consecutive days. Sleep was measured using activPAL software analysis of posture and movement to quantify bedtimes, wake times, sleep midpoint, and sleep durations. Sleep variability was calculated using intra-individual standard deviations for each measure. Outcomes were compared between groups using ANOVA (alpha = 0.05) and independent samples t-tests were used to compare specific differences between groups. RESULTS: Young adult athletes slept longer and had more variable bedtimes and sleep durations compared to matched non-athlete controls. There were no differences in sleep measures between midlife former athletes and midlife non-athlete controls. All sleep measures were statistically different between midlife former athletes and young adult athletes: young adults went to bed and woke up later, slept longer, and had more variable sleep patterns than midlife former athletes (TABLE). CONCLUSIONS: Young adult athletes sleep longer and have more variable bedtimes and sleep durations than their non-athlete peers. These differences are not present in midlife former college athletes versus non-athlete peers. Understanding the sleep patterns in former and current college athletes may inform interventions to improve recovery and long-term health.Supported by: NIH grant DP5-OD031833; NIH grant 2UL1TR001436 (supports REDCap)