Sleep in NCAA Division I collegiate athletes: Relations with self-compassion, stress, and rumination.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the benefits of self-compassion on sleep difficulties extend to a sample of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college athletes, and to examine the unique contributions of two possible pathways that have been separately evidenced to underlie the self-compassion and sleep difficulties association in non-athlete populations - namely perceived stress and rumination. A total of 412 NCAA Division I college athletes (M = 19.88, SD = 1.50) from 16 different West, Midwest, South, and North-eastern universities completed the Self-Compassion Scale, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Findings indicated that self-compassion is associated with fewer sleep difficulties in college athletes, and that lower levels of perceived stress and rumination are independent mechanisms through which self-compassion is associated with sleep difficulties. Further, a comparison of the indirect effects revealed that perceived stress had a significantly stronger indirect effect on the relation between self-compassion and sleep difficulties than rumination. This study provides initial support for self-compassion training as a potentially relevant and important resource for promoting mental health and sleep health in the context of collegiate sport.

Poor sleep quality and reduced immune function among college students: Perceived stress and depression as mediators.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep problems are highly prevalent among college students and are linked to a multitude of detrimental consequences, among which are heightened perceived stress and symptoms of depression. The present study investigated the effect of poor sleep quality on the immune function of college students. A serial mediation model was developed to test the prediction that perceived stress and depression sequentially mediate the relationship between poor sleep quality and reduced immune function among college students. PARTICIPANTS: 137 undergraduates were recruited from a large Midwestern university (103Females, 34Males; Mage = 19.47, SDage = ± 1.54). METHODS: Cross-sectional based online survey administered in Spring 2021. RESULTS: Analyses revealed a significant total effect of sleep quality on immune function. Perceived stress and depression symptoms serially mediated the relationship between sleep quality and immune function. CONCLUSIONS: Results underscore the importance of college students' sleep in relation to their mental health and subsequent immune function.