Recovery Enhancement and Sleep Training

Evidence suggests that student athletes frequently experience sleep problems and are aware of the impact of sleep loss on mental and physical outcomes. As such, student athletes are motivated to improve sleep quality in order to improve their outcomes for overall athletic performance. This study will consist of two parts. The first part will be a survey. Fall athletes arrive in the summer, and Part 1 will invite 200 of these athletes to complete a survey within the first week of their arrival on campus. The survey will assess multiple domains of student-athlete health, namely, sleep duration and quality, mood and depression, stress, and mental and physical well-being. The responses to the survey will be confidential, and students will be compensated for the survey. At the end of the semester, students will be invited to complete the survey again. Part 2 is an intervention. 40 of the 200 students will be chosen to participate in the intervention, based on predetermined criteria. The intervention will include an information session where students may ask questions. Students will be sent text message reminders about adherence to the program and will be asked to monitor their sleep quality with sleep diaries. The intervention will consist of the half of the 40 chosen students, (20 students), who will be provided with blue blocking glasses, a bright light-emitting diode (LED) light, and a fit bit. Please note that all of these items are commercially available and are not meant to be used to treat or prevent human illness nor injury and do not require FDA oversight. The blue-blocking glasses will ensure that blue light from electronic devices will not interfere with circadian rhythm or sleep onset, and allow students to fall asleep earlier. The bright LED light will provide bright blue light in the morning to help students wake and an amber light to promote earlier bedtimes. The Fitbit will estimate sleep and physical activity as well as adherence to the program.