CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter aims to give the reader and insight of what of what will be the flow of the whole thesis.The

Introduction, Background of the Study, Objectives of the Study,Statement of the Problem, Significance of

the Study, Statement of the Hypothesis and Scope and Delimitation are found here. It is in this chapter

where the whole thesis revolves.

INTRODUCTION

We devote a very large portion of time to sleep, and our brains have complex systems that control various

aspects of sleep. Given the average life expectancy for U.S. citizens falls between 73 and 79 years old

(Singh & Siahpush, 2006), we can expect to spend approximately 25 years of our lives sleeping. Sleep is an

essential part of human life. Without sleep the mind and body cannot function. When we don’t get enough

sleep we feel tired, easily irritated, hungry and not well. The right amount of sleep, yet again, makes us feel

energetic and ready for daily challenges. During sleep the body heals itself, consolidates learning and

memories and restores its chemical balance (Pietrangelo & Watson 2017).Every one of us has experienced

a bad night of sleep. Maybe we haven’t got enough sleep because we went to bed too late or maybe we kept

waking up in the middle of the night. Despite the reason the result was the same. We felt tired and not like

ourselves the next day.

For most people this happens only occasionally but for some people it’s everyday life. According to

American Sleep Association over 35% of adults in the United States are sleep deprived (American Sleep

Association 2011). Sleep deprivation can be intentional, it can be a result from a hectic work- or social life

or even be a sign of a sleep disorder or other medical problem (Davis 2016).

 Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively

inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during

rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings. Sleep insufficiency is

common in modern society and may result from a variety of factors, including work demands, social and

family responsibilities, medical conditions, and sleep disorders. As sleep debt accumulates, individuals may

experience reduced performance, increased risk for accidents and death, and detrimental effects on both

psychological and physical health.

The researchers concluded that sleep loss was negatively correlated with academic performance. They

found that sleep-deprived students performed poorly on learning capacity skills such as attention, memory,

and problem-solving tasks, and that the lack of sleep therefore affected their academic performance. It has

been proposed that sleep deprivation causes depression, agitation, apathy, and poor academic performance

in students. Reduced total sleeping hours have been associated with declining academic performance .Poor

sleep can negatively affect a student's grades, increase the odds of emotional and behavioral disturbance.

Specifically, the test scores of those students who slept at least seven hours per night were about 10 %

higher than those who didn't get that much sleep. Sleep has a positive effect on speed, accuracy, and

reaction time. Without a good night's sleep, you may notice that you are not able to think clearly or react as

quickly during your training or game. You may be more sensitive, moody, or irritable which can affect how

well you get along with your teammates and coach.

Insufficient sleep among adolescents may not only contribute to lower grades and a lack of motivation, but

may also increase the odds of serious levels of emotional and behavioral disturbances, including ADHD,

according to a research abstract , Many students give up sleep to get good grades, but research shows that

students who sleep more get better grades. College students go to bed one to two hours later and sleep less

per night on average compared to previous generations. Monitoring what happens in children's brains

during sleep, and how much information they retain before and after sleep, shows that sleep helps with

accessing implicit knowledge (procedural memory) and making it explicit (declarative memory).
Adults can also call upon this kind of information learned during the day. Ideally, you should try to get

more than 90 minutes of sleep. Sleeping between 90 and 110 minutes gives your body time to complete one

full sleep cycle and can minimize grogginess when you wake. But any sleep is better than not at all — even

if it's a 20-minute nap.

Academic performance is the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects.

Teachers and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance, graduation

rates and results from standardized tests.Student performance is measured using grade point average

(GPA), high school graduation rate, annual standardized tests and college entrance exams. A student's GPA

is typically measured on a scale of zero to four with higher GPAs representing higher grades in the

classroom.

Academic success is important because it is strongly linked to the positive outcomes we value. Adults who

are academically successful and with high levels of education are more likely to be employed, have stable

employment, have more employment opportunities than those with less education and earn higher salaries,

are more likely to have health insurance, are less dependent on social assistance, are less likely to engage in

criminal activity, are more active as citizens and charitable volunteers and are healthier and happier.

Academic success is important because working people will need higher levels of education to tackle the

technologically demanding occupations of the future. Now a day you need a post-secondary education in

order to get a job.

Academically successful adolescents have higher self-esteem, have lower levels of depression and anxiety,

are socially inclined, and are less likely to abuse alcohol and engage in substance abuse. Positive self-

esteem and self-confidence are critical factors in commitment to academic success.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide information about overall sleep quality and habits among the

students of Immaculada Conception College and the aim to learn more about students’ sleeping habits.

These can be achieved by answering the following research questions: what are the common sleep habits

among the students and what factors increase the risk of sleep deprivation among students.

The senior high school years are a time of critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. For many

individuals, this transition is associated with inadequate sleep and daytime sleepiness. Good sleep can

improve concentration and productivity. Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function.This

includes cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance (7Trusted Source). Sleep is an essential

function that allows your body and mind to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up.

Healthy sleep also helps the body remain healthy and stave off diseases. Without enough sleep, the brain

cannot function properly. This can impair your abilities to concentrate, think clearly, and process

memories.

Many factors contribute to this, including the students’ own circadian physiology. Class times are often

scheduled without consideration of young adults’ circadian patterns. Inadequate sleep hygiene is common,

as students often use technology and substances that compromise sleep quality and quantity. This chronic

sleep deprivation may impair academic performance, mood regulation, and driving safety. Students who

attain sufficient sleep may still struggle with sleepiness due to sleep disorders.

The reason for the topic is purely a personal interest. We spend a huge part of our lives asleep, yet again

sleep and dreams are still not fully understood. This thesis will be providing useful information about

students’ sleep quality, the average amount of sleep and about possible sleep related problems, just to name

a few.
Sleep is a part of normal daily life. It’s a necessity that we cannot survive without. It is said that one can

survive only so long without sleep before dying. That only proves how important sleep is. When we go to

sleep our bodies don’t shut down or go on a pause mode. They stay active and recover physically and

mentally. During sleep the body’s energy resources fill up, the wounds and illnesses heal and the body

protects itself against illnesses. Our brains are very active when we are asleep. Even though we are not

conscious our brain goes through everything that has happened during the day; it restores memories and

deletes memories. It supports our learning and gets rid of unnecessary thoughts. The brain never pauses, it’s

always working (Pihl & Aronen 2015, 19).

The researchers believe that this research will contribute to the principle of the teacher, students, and school

administrator. Further research is needed to not only determine how to best educate students about the

importance of sleep and the consequences of sleep deprivation, but also how to translate this knowledge

into practice. Sleep and dreams have always fascinated people. People know sleeping can be problematic or

even cause problems but many people don’t know why. Sleep should be a pleasant, fulfilling experience

and not a burden or a thing to be worried of.