The Impact of Sleep Quality on Performance: A Critically Appraised Topic Comparing Women’s Soccer and Men’s Ice Hockey
Faculty Mentor
Garth Babcock
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 11:30 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 1:30 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Exercise Science
Abstract
Sleep is one of the most important but often overlooked components of recovery. Adequate recovery is essential for optimizing performance and maintaining athletes' overall health. Most collegiate and professional athletes fail to prioritize sleep due to demanding schedules, including training, academic or professional responsibilities, travel, stress, and competition. Research has shown that inadequate sleep can negatively impact athletic performance. Poor sleep quality has been associated with decreased cognitive function and reaction time, as well as increased burnout and the risk of injury. Numerous factors influence sleep quality, which can then affect the athlete’s mental and physical health, which could put them at risk for injury. The impact of these factors may differ between women’s soccer and men’s ice hockey participants due to sport- and sex-specific demands. Our research seeks to critically appraise and combine literature to examine the relationship between sleep quality and athletic performance, placing specific emphasis on the differences between women’s soccer and men's ice hockey athletes. A critically appraised topic (CAT) analysis will be conducted using SPORTDiscus and PubMed electronic search databases. Key terms searched included: sleep quality, sleep, college athletes, professional athletes, sports, performance, hockey players, soccer players, men, and women. The inclusion criteria consisted of all peer-reviewed studies that looked at sleep quality and how it affected athletic performance. A PEDro Scale score equal to or greater than six will be used as the final inclusion criterion. This would make sure that the studies were relevant and of good quality.
Recommended Citation
Hardman, Katheryne and Hofacker, Jadyn, "The Impact of Sleep Quality on Performance: A Critically Appraised Topic Comparing Women’s Soccer and Men’s Ice Hockey" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 14.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p2_2026/14
Creative Commons License

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The Impact of Sleep Quality on Performance: A Critically Appraised Topic Comparing Women’s Soccer and Men’s Ice Hockey
PUB NCR
Sleep is one of the most important but often overlooked components of recovery. Adequate recovery is essential for optimizing performance and maintaining athletes' overall health. Most collegiate and professional athletes fail to prioritize sleep due to demanding schedules, including training, academic or professional responsibilities, travel, stress, and competition. Research has shown that inadequate sleep can negatively impact athletic performance. Poor sleep quality has been associated with decreased cognitive function and reaction time, as well as increased burnout and the risk of injury. Numerous factors influence sleep quality, which can then affect the athlete’s mental and physical health, which could put them at risk for injury. The impact of these factors may differ between women’s soccer and men’s ice hockey participants due to sport- and sex-specific demands. Our research seeks to critically appraise and combine literature to examine the relationship between sleep quality and athletic performance, placing specific emphasis on the differences between women’s soccer and men's ice hockey athletes. A critically appraised topic (CAT) analysis will be conducted using SPORTDiscus and PubMed electronic search databases. Key terms searched included: sleep quality, sleep, college athletes, professional athletes, sports, performance, hockey players, soccer players, men, and women. The inclusion criteria consisted of all peer-reviewed studies that looked at sleep quality and how it affected athletic performance. A PEDro Scale score equal to or greater than six will be used as the final inclusion criterion. This would make sure that the studies were relevant and of good quality.