Comparison of good and poor sleepers: stress and life satisfaction of university athletes

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare differences in level of perceived stress, type of stress appraisal and life satisfaction between university athletes who declare problems with sleep (Poor Sleepers, PS, n = 72) and those without problems (Good Sleepers, GS, n = 105). In preliminary analyses the PS and GS were compared for group homogeneity with (a) the Chi-Square test for gender and type of sport, and (b) the Mann-Whitney U test for practice time and weekly frequency of trainings. In both analyses no differences were present. In the main analysis, prepared with the Mann-Whitney U test, GS and PS were compared in terms of psychological variables. Athletes who reveal problems with sleep quality (in comparison to their counterparts with good sleep quality) most often appraise stressful situations as a threat, perceive more stress in everyday life and declare lower life satisfaction. The differences between GS and PS groups may result from the bi-directional relationship between sleep quality and stress and life satisfaction. High stress and low life satisfaction can result in poor sleep quality and, on the other hand, sleep problems can aggravate stress and reduce the life satisfaction. Further studies and the use of advanced analyzes are needed to indicate the relationship between the studied variables in university athletes (e.g., mediation analysis, SEM).