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

Abstract

AbstractThe 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.