The Influence of Sleep Quality on Return to Sport Time of College Athletes following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: To review relevant literature examining how sleep quality can affect the return to sport time following an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in college athletes. Methods: Literature was gathered through Google Scholar and PubMed in January and February 2026 to evaluate the influence of sleep quality on return to sport time following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery. There were nine relevant studies found Results: Lower sleep quality and duration was associated with higher occurrence of injury, illness, delayed recovery and muscle loss. Injured athletes tend to have poorer sleep quality compared to uninjured athletes due to the negative thoughts about the injury and achieving their previous level of activity. Conclusions: The quality of sleep patients get after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery can play a significant role in their return to sport time in college athletes.