Document Type

Research Paper

Date of Completion

Summer 3-25-2026

Department

Exercise & Sports Sciences

Faculty Mentor

Michael Gragg

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between sleep duration and wellness among collegiate football athletes at Harding University. The study specifically investigated whether athletes’ average hours of sleep were related to mood, fatigue, stress, soreness, and overall wellness. A quantitative, nonexperimental correlational research design was used. The sample consisted of 79 football players on the active roster during the 2025 season. Data were obtained from the Harding University Football Daily Wellness Survey, which athletes completed electronically each morning throughout the season. Participants reported their sleep duration and rated measures of wellness, including mood, fatigue, stress, soreness, and sleep quality. Average scores for each participant were calculated across the season, and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results showed that athletes averaged 7.67 hours of sleep per night (SD = 0.81). A statistically significant positive relationship was found between sleep duration and overall wellness, r(77) = .282, p = .012, indicating that athletes who reported more sleep generally reported higher overall wellness. However, the relationships between sleep duration and the individual measures of mood, fatigue, stress, and soreness were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that adequate sleep may contribute to improved overall wellness among collegiate football athletes, highlighting the importance of sleep as a component of athlete recovery and well-being.

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