In a pioneering study emerging from The Ohio State University, groundbreaking evidence has illuminated the significant impact early morning team practices have on the sleep quality and duration of collegiate athletes. By analyzing an unprecedented dataset of over 27,000 sleep sessions from a diverse group of 359 varsity athletes collected over five years, researchers have provided the most comprehensive picture yet of how scheduling early workouts could undermine athletes’ crucial rest cycles. This research harnesses objective measurement tools, notably wearable technology, to move beyond past limitations of self-reported sleep times, delivering new insights into the delicate balance between practice schedules and athlete recovery.
The study’s lead author, Emaly Vatne, a PhD student specializing in kinesiology and an assistant sports scientist at Ohio State’s Human Performance Collaborative, underscores the uniqueness of the data. Unlike prior studies constrained by smaller sample sizes and subjective measures, this extensive repository offers quantifiable evidence that early practices—defined as those beginning at or before 8 a.m.—consistently reduce sleep duration compared to sessions scheduled later in the morning or afternoon. This reduction in sleep is not trivial; male athletes lost roughly 30 minutes, while female athletes experienced a slightly smaller, yet still significant, loss of approximately 20 minutes on nights preceding these early starts.
Going beyond just the quantity of sleep, the research delved into more nuanced aspects of sleep architecture. Sleep efficiency, an important marker indicating how restful and uninterrupted sleep is, was notably worse on nights before early practices. The athletes experienced more fragmented sleep characterized by brief awakenings and longer latency to fall asleep. Such disturbances suggest that the anticipation or stress of early wake-ups may impair the ability to enter and sustain deep, restorative sleep stages, which are essential for physical recovery and cognitive function.
Female athletes, on average, grappled with about seven hours of sleep before early morning practices, which dropped to an average of seven hours and seventeen minutes when their sessions started later in the day. Male athletes showed a similar pattern but with generally less sleep overall—averaging six hours and twenty minutes before early practices versus six hours and fifty minutes before later starts. Coupled with the deterioration in sleep efficiency, these deficits potentially undermine training adaptations, muscle repair, and overall athletic performance.
The physiological underpinnings behind these findings are clear. Sleep plays a critical role in hormonal regulation, immune function, and neural recovery—all processes athletes rely on for optimal performance. Early morning practices not only force athletes into shorter, more disrupted sleep but may also impede their circadian rhythms. This misalignment can exacerbate feelings of fatigue, decrease alertness, and impair decision-making skills on and off the field. Such effects cast early practice timing as a modifiable risk factor for suboptimal athlete health and performance.
A notably striking component of the study was the behavioral pattern of athletes adjusting their routines depending on practice timing. When practices were scheduled for the afternoon, athletes tended to go to bed later by a little over an hour, yet this overall shift did not result in reduced total sleep time compared to early mornings. This finding hints at an opportunity for coaches and trainers to appreciate that scheduling practices later in the day may provide athletes greater latitude to maintain consistent and adequate sleep durations, even if bedtime shifts occur.
Co-author Joshua Hagen, a research associate professor in integrated systems engineering, emphasizes the importance of translating these findings into actionable knowledge. While there remain logistical challenges and sometimes necessity behind early scheduling, the quantifiable evidence elucidated through this study empowers coaches to make informed decisions regarding athlete welfare. Understanding the trade-offs between practice timing and sleep quality allows sports programs to better prioritize recovery, potentially leading to improved competitive outcomes and reduced injury risk.
Beyond the immediate implications for collegiate athletes, the study’s insights resonate more broadly within sports science and health fields. Sleep is increasingly recognized as one of the most potent natural performance enhancers, and this work solidifies its critical role in athletic contexts. For elite performers, every marginal gain counts, and sleep quality emerges as a foundational pillar that coaches, trainers, and sports scientists must diligently protect and promote.
Technologically, the utilization of the Oura Ring wearable device exemplifies how advanced monitoring tools can revolutionize sports research. This device captures detailed physiological markers beyond mere sleep duration, including nighttime cardiovascular data that contextualize sleep quality within broader recovery processes. The integration of such objective data across thousands of records represents a methodological leap that can shed light on complex interactions between training demands and biological rhythms.
Looking forward, the findings from this comprehensive observational study raise important questions about how athletic programs can balance the demands of sport, academic commitments, and player health. While early morning practices may sometimes be unavoidable due to facility availability, travel logistics, or competition requirements, incorporating knowledge from this study into training design could mitigate some negative impacts. Strategies might include delayed practice times when possible, scheduled naps, or personalized sleep hygiene education to optimize rest and adaptiveness among athletes.
Emaly Vatne’s dual experience as a former varsity soccer player and applied sport scientist further informs the study’s practical relevance. Athletes sometimes feel compelled to accept rigorous schedules without questioning their recovery efficacy, but the data-driven evidence presented here empowers them and their coaches to prioritize sleep as a paramount component of training regimens. Ultimately, this research underscores the need to view athletic performance through a holistic lens that values sleep as a critical, non-negotiable ingredient for success.
In conclusion, The Ohio State University’s extensive work on the timing of team practices and its direct correlation with sleep characteristics paves the way for a paradigm shift in athletic scheduling and wellness practices. As the scientific community continues to unveil the intricate connections between training, sleep, and performance, this landmark study provides a compelling call to action for sports organizations worldwide: optimizing practice schedules is not merely a logistical concern but a health imperative that can profoundly affect athlete outcomes.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: The Impact of Team Practice Block Start Times on Sleep Characteristics in Collegiate Athletes
News Publication Date: 1-Nov-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005206
References: The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Keywords: collegiate athletes, sleep quality, early morning practices, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, wearable sleep trackers, Oura Ring, athletic performance, recovery, sports science, circadian rhythms, training schedules
