Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Health, Sport and Exercise Science (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Health, Human Performance and Recreation

Advisor/Mentor

Joshua Lens

Committee Member

Merry Moiseichik

Second Committee Member

Michelle Gray

Third Committee Member

David Christian

Keywords

Elite Athletes; Neurofeedback-Guided Mindfulness; Sleep

Abstract

Abstract Proper sleep is a vital element in the lives of elite athletes due to its effects on recovery, performance, and mental and emotional health. However, despite the importance of sleep quality, elite athletes are experiencing notable difficulties with both sleep quantity and quality. While sleep is necessary for all individuals, it is specifically essential for elite athletes. Sleep quality issues can be accompanied by both physical and psychological struggles, which is concerning for the population of elite athletes who are struggling with sleep quality at higher rates than the general population. Despite the increasing awareness of sleep quality struggles within this population, there has yet to be a gold standard sleep intervention. Additionally, there is a need for noninvasive, drug-free, and commercially available intervention options. Noninvasive, commercial-grade neurofeedback technology and mindfulness aid individuals in achieving restorative sleep as well as helping with stress regulation and mental health struggles like stress and anxiety. However, there is little research using neurofeedback-guided mindfulness as a sleep quality intervention strategy for elite athletes. This scholarship utilized an A-B-A single case multiple baseline design to evaluate the effects of a noninvasive, commercial-grade neurofeedback assisted mindfulness-based intervention on increasing sleep quality in elite athletes. Further, this research examined the effects of a noninvasive commercial-grade neurofeedback assisted mindfulness-based intervention on decreasing stress and anxiety in elite athletes. Participants included three professional female track and field athletes (M=27 years, range 25-29 years). The research collected Sleep quality variables using a combination of subjective and objective measures. Consensus Sleep Diaries collected data on perceived sleep onset latency (SOL), perceived number of awakenings per night, and perceived awakening durations. Biometric data obtained recorded total sleep time, percentage of REM per total sleep time, percentage of deep sleep per total sleep time, and average heart rate per night. Descriptive data about sleep quality, perceived stress, and symptoms of anxiety were collected pre-study, post-intervention, and post-study. The results of this study indicated that the use of a noninvasive, commercial-grade neurofeedback assisted mindfulness-based intervention is effective in increasing variables of sleep quality in elite athletes. Furthermore, consistent with the hypothesis that elite athletes using noninvasive, commercial-grade neurofeedback technology and a mindfulness-based intervention will experience increased sleep quality as measured by the sleep diaries and biometric data, two out of three participants experienced benefits in over half of the sleep quality variables measured. Additional support of hypothesis 1’s effectiveness is that only one participant scored > 5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) post-study, qualifying as a poor sleeper; whereas pre-study all three participants qualified as poor sleepers. The participant who did score > 5 decreased her PSQI score by six points from pre- to post-study showing that her sleep quality increased. Further showing effectiveness, two of the three participants decreased their Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire scores from pre- to post-intervention, with one participant qualifying as none on the sleep difficulty scale.

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