Evaluating Differences In Objective Sleep Outcomes By Physical Activity Status In College-aged Individuals

BACKGROUND: Poor sleep is associated with cardiometabolic diseases, obesity, and all-cause mortality. Many college-aged individuals have suboptimal sleep durations and poor sleep quality characterized by extended latency (how long it takes to fall asleep) and low efficiency (percentage of time spent asleep while in bed). Lifestyle factors such as physical activity (PA) may influence sleep, but there is limited evidence evaluating the association between PA status and objective sleep assessments in college-aged individuals. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare objective sleep outcomes (duration, latency, efficiency) between active and inactive college-aged (18-25 yrs old) individuals. METHODS: 22 college-aged active (n = 12) and inactive (n = 10) individuals (68% female, Age: 22.5 ± 2.0 yrs, Body Mass Index: 24.2 ± 3.0 kg/m2) participated in this study. Participants self-reporting less than 2 days a week of exercise were classified as inactive; PA was quantified by calculating moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week reported by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Average sleep duration, latency and efficiency were measured by a 3rd generation Oura Ring for 1 week and used for analyses. Three analysis of covariance tests compared differences in each sleep outcome between the active and inactive groups while controlling for sex. RESULTS: The average MVPA was 312.1 ± 105.5 min/wk for the active group and 33.5 ± 48.9 min/wk for the inactive group. There were no significant differences between groups in sleep duration (active: 8.1 ± 0.5 hrs, inactive: 8.1 ± 0.8 hrs, p = 0.895), latency (active: 14.8 ± 3.9 mins, inactive: 16.5 ± 6.7 mins, p = 0.762), or efficiency (active: 89.3 ± 3.4, inactive: 88.9 ± 3.3, p = 0.444). CONCLUSIONS: In this college-aged sample, sleep duration, latency, or efficiency did not differ by PA status. Future research should investigate the effects of other factors on sleep such as timing of PA participation, sex, stress, and additional lifestyle behaviors (e.g., caffeine, alcohol, cannabis use) in a larger sample. This could provide potential targets for interventions focused on improving sleep and health in college-aged individuals. Supported by: The project described was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, through Grant Award Number UM1TR004406. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.