NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference is joining forces with a team of esteemed sleep specialists throughout the 2023-24 academic year via Sun Belt Sleep to Rise, an initiative that aims to educate student-athletes, coaches, and administrators on the crucial role sleep plays in both physical and mental health. 
 
Sleep impacts every aspect of the student-athlete experience. Not only does sleep affect the physical wellbeing of student-athletes - including injury prevention, recovery, and immune response - but it is also the best predictor of student-athlete mental health.
 
The NCAA Inter-Association Task Force on Sleep and Wellness has said that on average, in-season student-athletes are getting 6.27 hours of sleep nightly, while 8-12 hours is considered ideal.
 
In recent years, conference realignment has impacted NCAA Division I. With these changes comes increased travel for student-athletes, which, compounded by competing priorities, will undoubtedly negatively impact their mental health, academic and sports performance.
 
The Sun Belt Conference recognizes the imperative role sleep plays in the student-athlete mental health equation. With 14 member institutions in 10 contiguous states, the Sun Belt is committed to its identity as a regional conference with a divisional model. This places the Sun Belt Conference in a unique position that prioritizes student-athlete wellbeing. The Sun Belt has already taken measures to ease travel distress for student-athletes by adjusting schedules to accommodate for cross-divisional road trips.
 
In addition to optimizing scheduling, implementing sleep strategies is crucial to ensuring athletes get enough rest to perform at their best. With proper education, training, and support, athletes can minimize the negative effects of travel and achieve their full potential both in and out of competition. Sun Belt Sleep to Rise aims to do just that.
 
As part of the campaign, the Sun Belt Conference has partnered with Hercules Tires to award grants to each of its member institutions. Working alongside a team of sleep specialists, Dr. Shane Creado and Brendan Duffy, the Sun Belt Conference will provide resources to member institutions and student-athletes for the 2023-24 academic year. Dr. Creado and Mr. Duffy have worked successfully with several teams and athletes, such as the Miami Heat, Chicago Blackhawks, and the NBA Players Association, and have seen remarkable changes and an uptick in wins for these teams and individuals. Consultation can include in-person presentations, Zoom meetings, videos, books, team travel planning questionnaires, and many other offerings. 
 
Student-athletes and coaches will also receive Sun Belt Sleep to Rise eye masks and “Future Champion at Rest” door hangers at all 2023-24 Sun Belt Conference Championships.