Do student-athletes really experience higher stress levels and lower sleep amounts compared to non-student-athletes? A recent survey of 95 Berkeley High School students attempted to answer this question by comparing the average stress levels and hours of sleep for athletes and non-athletes. Students were asked about their sleep habits, homework management, and daily average stress levels.
When it comes to sleep, the survey revealed mixed results. According to Danielle Pacheco, a writer for the Sleep Foundation, “Regular exercise, and even short bouts of exercise, can lead to improvements in total sleep quality.” Some athletes echoed this, with one participant saying, “Sometimes, if I don’t go out and exercise or go to practice it’s harder to sleep.” However, many athletes reported that playing a sport negatively impacted their sleep levels, citing the time constraints that come with balancing their sport and homework. One athlete shared, “I get less sleep since I need to stay up late doing homework because practice takes up most of my afternoon.” Another said, “Being a student athlete means you have two hours less of your day to do work or rest because of practices. It also means you need more sleep, which you normally can’t get.” Non-athletes reported slightly more sleep, averaging between six to nine hours per night, whilst athletes averaged just six to seven.
One of the biggest differences between athletes and non-athletes in terms of stress is the amount of responsibilities they have. A common stressor that athletes pointed to is the amount of time for homework when they are also required to go to practice. One anonymous athlete said, “I prioritize my sport, but I still care about school and I do my homework late at night.” This person wasn’t alone, in fact, nearly all athletes reported going to practice in the afternoon and staying up to finish homework. This can lead to problems, such as sleep deprivation and the additional stress of not completing homework, but also benefits, like time management skills. Many non-athletes said that they also experience time scarcity due to extracurriculars.
In relation to stress levels, both groups reported high scores. Among the 58 athletes surveyed, and on a scale from one to 10, the majority, reported their stress levels ranging from seven to eight with a significant portion, reaching eight to nine. Many athletes attributed their high stress to the dual demands and time constraints they have to manage with both sports and schoolwork. As one athlete put it, “The pressure to perform well in both school and my sport adds a lot of stress.” Non-athletes reported high stress with levels mainly in the seven to eight range. However, non-athletes notably also had more variability in their responses, with a few reaching extremely high levels of stress rated nine to 10.