INTRODUCTION – SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Sleep is a naturally occurring state on which the body and mind of an individual is relatively inactive and
weak that is often associated with muscle relaxation. In the human body, sleep aids with all the
cognitive function and skills necessary to live and do daily task such as; attentiveness, critical thinking
and processing, logic and reasoning, memory, and decision making to name a few. Sleep is one of, if not
the most important part of an individual’s life. An individual will approximately spend up to one-third of
his/her life asleep. According to Dr. Rafael Pelayo, “Sleep is a critical process that allows the body to
function and stay healthy.” It is also said to be a psychological adaptation of the human system to
conserve and produce energy.

Sleep is something that the brain needs and with enough sleep, an individual can function better. The
condition of which an individual suffers from lack of sleep is called sleep deprivation. Insufficient quality
sleep will damage many systems of the human body and over time will result to chronic diseases, health
problems and even life-threatening risks. The most immediate effect of sleep deprivationis the
dysfunction of a individuals cognitive ability.

Sleep is vital and plays an important role in the overall well-being of an individual. According to the
National Sleep Foundation (2019), an individual in the age bracket of 14 to 25 needs at least 7 to 10
hours of sleep to be able to function properly. Sleep is essential in feeling awake, alert and sharp that is
used for critical processing and thinking, thus working at peak performance.

Unfortunately, getting a sufficient quality sleep is not prioritized in the modern society, and often needs
to be sacrificed by every individual especially senior high school students. According to multiple studies
conducted in the past, it shows that most senior high school students do not receive an optimal amount
of sleep. There are excessive demands on senior high school students which prevent a student from
receiving the required amount of sleep. Most of the time, students tend to push or cram themselves to
study and meet the academic requirements required in each school semester. In the study conducted by
Gilbert and Weaver (2010), the researchers found that sleep loss interferes with students academic,
extracurricular and vocational choices. Being unable to have adequate amount of quality sleep will not
only inhibit a students’ academic performance but will also lead to negative outcomes while having
enough sleep will result in an individual becoming active, functional and healthy.

According to Clete A. Kushida, MD, PHD, “There are data that sleep loss leads to learning and memory
impairment, as well as decreased attention and vigilance.” To work and perform well, a student should
also recognize the affecting factors that can either help or hinder his/her goal. Sleep deprivation is one
of the biggest affecting factors that could hinder a student in reaching a goal. As said beforehand, the
most immediate effect of insufficient sleep is the dysfunction of an indivuals cognitive ability thus
affecting a students’ performance and academics.

According to the Healthy Living Index (2016), Filipinos have one of the highest rates of sleep deprivation
in Asia. 46 percent of Filipinos do not get enough sleep while 32 percent said that they sleep for less
than six hours. The purpose of adequate quality sleep is to improve concentration and productivity.
Sleep loss means mental capacity loss. It impedes in students’ performance, messes up cognitive
abilities, skills, mood and the most basic element to optimally function during the day. Poor quality sleep
has significant impacts on behavior and performance, as well as attention, concentration and mood that
will lead students to lose the ability to succeed academically in school.

In today’s rapidly improving society, a culture that promotes reduced sleep due to the burden of
academic works and social affairs. Six hours of sleep may sound pretty good but in reality, it is not. Yet,
no matters how important getting adequate amount of quality sleep is, not everyone is able to meet the
required amount of sleep especially students. Research shows that more and more students are not
getting enough sleep. Sleeping is not enough for students, quality amount of sleep is.

In this study, the researchers’ objective is to find out the impacts and effects of sleep deprivation on the
cognitive abilities and performance of Ormoc City Senior High School Students.