Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Sleep Deprivation in College Students

What are the effects of sleep on college students and what are different ways to promote better

sleep?

Jayme Ritchie

Savannah Osborne

Madison Hefner

Daziana Velasquez

NURS 3749 Nursing Research

Mrs. Molly Roche

Summer 2016

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe what a literature review of twelve research articles

reviewed by BSN nursing students in an undergraduate nursing research class revealed about

sleep deprived college students. This research group consisting of four students critically read

twelve articles on the relationship of how sleep positively affects college students, and the

different ways to promote better sleep. This class assignment is being implemented to assist in

learning the research process and its importance to nursing practice. The concept of health

promotion was chosen by the class to increase the understanding of this topic with college

students. Health promotion was chosen as an important healthcare issue identified by Healthy

People 2020. Through poster presentations students will share current knowledge about their

findings and implications for nursing practice. What are the effects of sleep on college students

and what are different ways to promote better sleep?

Keywords: sleep deprivation, health promotion, college students, promote, positively

affects, ways

Introduction

Throughout this research paper the four BSN nursing students focused on the positive

effects of sleep on college students and the different ways to promote a better night's sleep.

Research has shown that college students are sleep deprived. Some of the positive effects of

sleep include overall health promotion, higher GPA, positive outlooks. On the other hand, some

of the different ways to increase sleep is to limit the use of technology, exercise, alcohol,

caffeine, and nicotine before bed. Most college students don’t realize the power sleep has on

their body and health overall.

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Literature Review

The majority of college students love to sleep, but honestly how many people have all

day to sleep in or go to bed early? Very few people have the luxury of sleeping in and going to

bed at a decent hour at night. College students especially do not get the proper amount of sleep

every night. The students either are too busy studying, partying, working, and/or trying to have a

social life with their college friends. By stressing out trying to balance good grades and a social

life all while taking college level courses they do not properly allow themselves enough time to

get an adequate amount of sleep. Most students would rather stay up late studying for a test than

sleeping because they may rely on that test grade to pass the class. When in reality the students

are cheating themselves from a good night's sleep, and causing a domino effect of problems on

one another.

Comparing college students and their sleeping methods is somewhat predictable. College

students are at high risk of not getting the adequate amount of sleep. Due to their varying class

times, demanding work schedules, and busy social lives; sleep isn't a top priority. Recent studies

are shown that over 70% of college students are sleep deprived. The main importance of this

issue is that students need at least a full six to eight hours of sleep every night to stay attentive

during class lectures, and to be prepared for at home assignments and any other responsibilities

college students may have. (Adams, 2015)

Another interesting article that was reviewed was taken with 191 undergraduates. Each

student was given a “sleep habits” questionnaire to fill out. All of which was kept confidential at

all times. The questionnaire showed that only 11% of their sample of college students had an

overall score of 0 or 1. The results proved that the students who reported having a good night's

sleep was only 11%. More than 73% of the sample obtained a total score between 2 or 8, which

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indicated different sleep problems. Another interesting point that came up in this survey was that

women reported significantly more instances of having a difficulty falling asleep than men did.

However, those researchers did not find significant differences by gender for the amount of time

it takes to fall asleep, morning tiredness, and use of sleep medications. (Brown, 2016)

On the other hand, a sufficient amount of sleep has many positive effects on the human

body; college students in particular. Sleep is essential to humans. The human body spends

overall one third of our life asleep, without it our bodies could not function effectively. Sleep

plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital

functions. For our bodies to function properly we need a sleep routine that lets our bodies to

know when and how long each day it will be able to rest. MHT INSIGHT wrote an article called

Sleep and Mental Health and stated, “Sleep and mental health are interlinked, and treating

problems with one can help the other, but the link is still under-recognized” (Robotham, 2011, p.

21). This article states which mental health illnesses are associated with inadequate sleep

providing information on what adequate sleep can protect us from. Insomnia, depression, bipolar

disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety are all mental health illnesses related to poor sleeping

habits. This data shows how the reverse role affects how adequate sleep can protect us against

mental illnesses. The idea that, “sleep influences physical and emotional well-being (brain

maturation, substantial biological and psychosocial changes in puberty, and the interaction

between physical and psychosocial domains” was documented in the study that the four BSN

nursing students researched (Chen, Wang, Jong-Jeng, 2011, p. 1). The researchers were able to

find in their three-year study that adequate sleep (6-8 hours per night) strongly correlated with

non-obesity, and a lower incidence of doctor visits. College students who got sufficient sleep

also had a higher frequency of health-promoting behaviors such as stress management, healthy

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

diet, life appreciation, health responsibility and exercise, than those who got an insufficient

amount of sleep. (Healthy sleep, 2013) Healthy Sleep, focused on how sleep affects a person's

mental process and learning ability. Research suggests that sleep plays an important role in

memory, both before and after learning a new task. Healthy People states that consolidation

represents the process by which the memory becomes stable and that takes place during sleep.

Without adequate sleep and rest, over-worked neurons can no longer function to coordinate

information properly, and the body loses its ability to access previously learned information.

However, most college students assume staying up all night cramming for a test the night before

is a good way to help learn the information better. Even though that is actually the complete

opposite of what tends to happen. Therefore, getting adequate sleep each day when in college is

very important for learning new material and memorizing it.

Cedar Crest College held a study of college students that had insomnia problems, and

they believe it was also leading to even worst anxiety. The assessment was researching the

student’s behavior and activities before sleep, during sleep, and post sleep experience. The

responses were based on a 10-point scale by never and always. High scores reflect less adaptive

sleep related behavior. Out of 100 participants they came to the conclusion that for pre-sleep

experience there was a total of 100 points, which means every single student reported having

poor sleep hygiene. Their sleep experience was a 70, and post sleep was a total of 70 as well. The

studies suggested that there was a significant prevalence of insomnia in the sample of 100

college students. College students are likely to only have 50% of them as a whole: falling asleep,

maintaining sleep, and quality of sleep experience. (Brown, 2016)

Sleep is not only limited to avoiding mental illnesses, obesity, and learning but also many

more. In 2014, Healthy People 2020 listed a number of benefits adequate sleep can do such as:

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

fight off infections, support the metabolism of sugar to prevent diabetes, perform well in school,

and work effectively and safely along with promoting a decrease risk of heart disease, high blood

pressure, and diabetes. With all of the positive effects sleep has on the human body it is Healthy

People 2020’s goal to, “Increase public knowledge of how adequate sleep and treatment of sleep

disorders improve health, productivity, wellness, quality of life, and safety on roads and in the

workplace” (Buboltz, 2011).

“Sleep is essential for the cellular organic and systemic functions of an organism with its

absence being potentially harmful to health and changing feeding behavior, glucose, regulation,

blood pressure, cognitive process and some hormonal axes” (Altun, 2012). Getting enough sleep

prevents college students from staying up all night and eating at crazy hours just because they are

bored and/or stressed out. A good night's sleep prevents college students from becoming obese.

If students are not up eating at all hours of the night, then this allows them to keep a fast

metabolism so that they do not put on a bunch of weight. Having good sleeping habits and

getting proper rest can lower their blood pressure and keep their glucose regulated, improving

health in several positive ways. This prevents common diseases such as diabetes, heart disease,

and hypertension. (Altun, 2012)

“Sleep is one of the inevitable daily-living activities and it is one of the most important

factors contributing to health. Sleep has a positive effect on quality of life and body functions

and homeostasis” (Altun, 2012). As a college student, they are assigned with several

assignments, maintain a steady job, and still try to have a social life. However, there are only

twenty-four hours in a day, and most students don’t have time to do all of those things. Most

students who balance a job and classes probably spend eight hours at work and the rest at school,

doing homework, or studying for exams. It is extremely hard to get the proper six to eight hours

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of sleep that college students are supposed to be getting. Without enough sleep students cannot

function as well, and they have a harder time receiving the grades they are capable of getting.

College students who get enough sleep not only have better learning skills, but they are able to

focus better during lectures which allows them to perform well on tests. They do not have to

cram everything in the night before an exam because they were able to actually focus and learn

the material during the lecture rather than waiting to teach it all to themselves. That way they can

get a good night's sleep, rather than no sleep at all. Most college students believe if they stay up

all night and study the material the night before, the information will be fresh in their head and

they will not forget it; but research has shown that college students need to go to sleep in order

for the brain to process and remember everything the student has studied.

For college students to have good physical and mental health they must obtain enough

sleep. If college students have healthier sleep habits, not only will they have better health, but

they will also see better improvements with grades and being able to focus better in the

classroom. Most college students should be getting six to eight hours of sleep per night, and as

we know most college students are not able to get all of that rest due to other priorities they have

going on in their life. Getting enough sleep is very essential and has many positives to it such as:

preparing students for the day they have ahead of them, being able to wake up early, go to class

focused without falling asleep, and being able to pay attention to lectures and remember the

information that was taught to the students. Getting enough sleep keeps the body and mind in

great condition. The more sleep a college student gets the better decisions they will make. When

college students do not get enough sleep, they tend to be depressed, have decreased motivation

and want to take naps. Naps take up a decent part of the day, this can all be turned around just by

getting an adequate amount of rest at night, this will decrease sleepiness during the day allowing

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

college students to have more time to get more done. “Sleep is extremely important for

healthiness and it plays an important role in learning process and the improvement of our

memory” (Hamed, 2015). Missing classes can be very crucial and put students behind in classes

that they need to stay on top of. People take for granted what good things sleep does for our

body. Sleep allows the mind to grow and health keeps the body in a good state so students can

perform well and get good grades. (Hamed, 2015)

The brain reorganizes and restructures what to know and learn during sleep. When trying

to perform something new, it is performed better after getting enough rest. Improved sleep means

great health, “people can feel better and be better at sports or at work if they prioritize getting

enough sleep” (Johnson, 2015). Sleeping allows students to feel better overall, and provides

students with energy to survive throughout the day. As college students, it is a necessity, and it is

important to have as much energy students can possibly get. The more energy the more that can

get done. The more focused and determined students are, the better off students are in the

classroom, which only means the brighter the college students future will be. Sleep is a very

important aspect to having a healthy life and being successful in college. (Johnson, 2015)

Do all of these positive effects of sleep make you want to get a good night's sleep, but

have a hard time sleeping? There are numerous ways to promote a better night's sleep in college

students. The students deal with many factors that affect their role in trying to maintain their

regular sleep schedule. It’s difficult having a normal routine sleep pattern when they may be

living in the residence hall, having late classes, studying for exams, and somewhat trying to

balance all of these while having a social life. College student’s lives are so demanding, making

it extremely challenging to maintain healthy habits. College students are one of the most sleep-

deprived populations. Even though it is a challenge, the four BSN nursing students, reviewed

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three articles that showed numerous ways on how to increase sleep in college students. Most of

which are simply just different ways to modify your daily routine to promote better sleep. By

participating in a sport, walking to class, or even running around campus are all good ways to

incorporate a small amount of exercise into their daily routine. Exercise especially can help

promote more regular sleep and wake patterns as well as even reducing stress. However, it is

important to not partake in vigorous exercise three to four hours before falling asleep at night,

otherwise it will awaken the body more and make it extremely difficult to fall asleep. Nowadays

most students have cell phones or stay up late watching Netflix series, not realizing that using

such technology before bed affects their sleep. The University of Michigan Health System states

that college students should stop using any kind of technology, cell phones, laptops, televisions,

iPad’s, etc at least thirty minutes before bed. The light from the technology blocks the melatonin,

which actually helps you fall asleep. Simply reading a paper book would be so much more

beneficial than reading a book on a Kindle. Another key thing to limit, which is extremely

challenging for most college students, is caffeine and nicotine. Those two are both considered

stimulants, which disrupt sleep. The researchers state that the students should avoid these two

stimulants after lunchtime. Most college students drink coffee to keep them up to cram for their

final or to study for a test; however, researchers say their best bet is to try eating a small energy-

boosting snack instead of something caffeinated. For those students who do take naps, their best

practice is to keep the nap to roughly about thirty minutes, and try to take the nap around the

same time each day before 3 P.M. By sleeping for longer periods during the day only further

complicates their sleep cycle. (Sleep, 2016) It’s really important to stick to a normal sleep

schedule everyday. Go to bed and get up at the same time, even on the weekends and holidays.

By being consistent it only helps the students body’s sleep-wake cycle. However, the Mayo

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Clinic Staff explains to not lie in bed longer than 15-20 minutes if you cannot fall asleep, and to

get up and go do something relaxing before returning to bed. This article explained that by

creating a bedtime ritual, it really helps with winding down at night. Taking a warm bath or

shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music every night before bed will tell the body

it’s time for bed. The researchers found that using a comfortable mattress and pillow to your

liking extremely helps getting a good night sleep. Mayo Clinic Staff also states that college

students who may share a room in a dorm may want to try using earplugs if their roommate is

loud at night. (Mayo, 2014) Another article explained how approximately four out of five college

students drink alcohol, with roughly 40% of men and women report “binge drinking” nearly 4-5

drinks in a row within the last 14 days. Alcohol is a big thing across college campuses, and it

tends to shorten sleep latency. However, one study showed that 11.6% of students drank alcohol

to use it as a sleep aid. Alcohol can actually increase the risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

(Hershner, S. & Chervin, R., 2014) Even though it’s the “cool” thing to do in college, drinking

during the weekdays and weekends will only affect your sleep cycle, and without a good night's

sleep it’s only going to make it harder to focus and do well in the classroom.

Gale Cengage learning also did a study on the effects of sleep and how much it really

affects your everyday activities. The study represents an expansion of previous research

investigating the prevalence of sleep difficulties in college students. Good sleep quality is

important for physical and emotional well-being. One article, Trockel, Barnes, & Egget (200),

reported that sleep habits, more than all other health related behaviors, predict college academic

performances. The research was conducted on over 1,000 students. They came up with several

techniques to help promote better sleep patterns. The researchers found the top ten things to do to

help with sleep deprivation at night is to avoid caffeine and alcohol, put books away thirty

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minutes before bed, exercise earlier in the day, not right before bed, and make sure to turn out

the lights in the bedroom at night. College students should also create a set sleep schedule and

stick with it, even on the weekends. Sleeping in too much on weekends will mess up your normal

routine during the school week. The results of this study were very successful. Overall, the

student’s grades really benefited and increased when they stuck with a weekly sleep routine. Not

only did it prove that it helped the students in the classroom, but even more importantly, it

improved their long-term health, which is always a plus.

Conclusion

Sleep deprivation is an arising issue that is quickly increasing. The research our group

reviewed found that a heavy workload and outside activities are two major factors that are taking

a toll on college students’ classroom experience. Some recommendations to help with these

issues are providing students with training courses about appropriate sleep behaviors, and

explain to them how this can affect their school performances. Campus administration may also

want to examine course schedules, allowing some sections to be offered later in the day for those

students who have difficulty with morning restlessness. Further research needs to be done on

finding more ways to improve sleep issues within college-aged students. The need for more

research on sleep deprived college students is very clear.

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Sleep Deprivation in College Students

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