Sleep Deprivation: Its Impact on the Academic Performance of Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Students

in Juan G. Macaraeg National Highschool

A Research Proposal

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Practical Research II

by:
Hidalgo, Nichole Reign
Veloria, Lea Marie
Yuson, Steve Josh
Estacio, Marjorie
Quejarro, Jasmine Claire
Lemon, Irish
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Chapter I

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

All around the country, public and private schools reopened, and many

students resumed their in-person classes. The Department of Education (DepEd)

reported that there are over 28.03 million learners enrolled this academic year.

Some students who did not attend the limited face-to-face classes offered in April

2022 may find the switch from online to face-to-face classes surprising. Not all

students were able to swiftly alter their sleeping patterns in the days prior up to

the start of classes, which led to some of them becoming insomniac, which is a

different condition from being sleep deprived. A person experiences sleep

deprivation when they are unable to get adequate sleep. The amount of sleep

required to feel rested and perform properly varies by person and throughout

ages. It's essential to get sufficient sleep each night.

Sleep plays a crucial role in learning and health, particularly in the context

of adolescence, one of the most delicate periods of human development.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), young adults and

adolescents are those between the ages of 10 and 19. Adolescence is a crucial

time for biological and social development during which cognitive, behavioral,

and emotional functioning undergo significant changes. The sleep-wake pattern

has also undergone major modifications, as expected (Alfonsi, n.d.).

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The sleep-wake cycle has a delayed pattern during the adolescent years.

Many parents and medical professionals are unaware that bad sleep patterns

can persist into adulthood after they are formed. Early school hours set off a

cycle of daytime sleepiness that can influence mood and behavior and raise the

risk of accidents or injuries. This pattern of sleep loss is brought on by early

school hours. These sleep-deprivation patterns developed during youth can

frequently cause issues during the senior high school years. Along with

education and the installation of a rigid schedule, sleep hygiene can be

implemented to assist break the cycle. To improve both academic performance

and mental health, it is crucial to keep an eye out for sleep deprivation in all

teenagers (Marhefka, 2011).

When senior high school students struggle to retain alertness during

academic tasks, they may fall asleep. This issue can have major consequences,

such as poor academic performance, decreased coping skills for school and life

demands. These issues can be resolved by carefully recognizing and resolving

the occurrence of such issues.

        The necessity of sleep for learning, practicing, maintaining physical and

mental health, and living is an integral aspect of human health. It has an impact

on a person's capacity for learning, academic performance, and neural-

behavioral processes (Jalali et al., 2020). This study at Juan G. Macaraeg

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National High School will examine the effects of sleep patterns on academic

performance in students.

     Throughout the country, senior high school students frequently complain

about inadequate sleep, maybe as a result of the stress brought on by the

increased academic responsibilities (Pascoe et al., 2020). A sudden change in

sleeping environment, increased social possibilities, and busy schedules might

all be additional contributing reasons (Haile et al., 2017). In addition to posing a

serious risk to adolescents and young adults' health, wellbeing, and academic

performance, sleep deprivation also has a significant negative impact on this

group's health, happiness, and performance (Gaultney, 2010; Haile et al., 2017).

Most teenagers have made it a habit to sleep past 11:00 PM. Most of the

time, people appear to ignore the negative effects. Nowadays, many turn to

coffee or red bull to get them through the day, but this actually has negative side

effects including addiction to the drug or a halt in their development. "Sleep

deprivation raises the likelihood that youth may have many negative outcomes,

including an inability to concentrate, low grades, anxiety, despair, thoughts of

suicide, and even suicide attempts," says Stanford Medicine. It's an issue that

transcends all economic strata.

      It is commonly known that sleep and academic achievement are related.

Lack of sleep causes daytime tiredness and increased drowsiness, which

reduces mental clarity and focus (Reisi et al., 2017). The capacity to handle tasks
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requiring problem-solving, memory, and attention to detail may be impacted by

this (Alhola & Polo-Kantola, 2007). As a result, it has been discovered that

students who have sleep difficulties are more likely to have trouble academically.

Statement of the Problem

This research study aims to determine the impacts of sleep deprivation on

STEM students of Juan G. Macaraeg National High School enrolled during the

academic year 2022-2023.

Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the students in terms of:

a. Sex;

b. Age

2. How many hours does a student spend on school-related activities?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the sleep quality and the

academic performance of the students?

Significance of the Study

The results of this study have provided empirical findings which could be

beneficial to the following:

Students. Students gain from this research as well, because after reading

and indulging all the information in it, they will be aware of the serious

consequences of not getting enough sleep, which may inspire them to practice

effective time management.

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Teachers. This study is beneficial to teachers as well since they will be

mindful of their students' circumstances and sentiments, which will allow them to

reflect on themselves and lessen the workload they place on their students. This

also reflects on the teacher's performance and teaching style with the students.

Parents. This study would benefit parents too since they would be

knowledgeable of their children's difficulties at school and at home, which may

persuade them to reduce their expectations on them, which is sometimes the

cause of academic pressure when parents force their children to perform well in

many areas.

Juan G. Macaraeg National High School Administration. The results of

this study will help the administration in the planning and organizing of trainings

and seminars addressing the consequences of sleep deprivation on students.

Future Researcher. Future researchers will profit from this study because

it will present broad discussions regarding the different impacts of sleep

deprivation on the academic performance of students. The information provided

in this study may be a basis of further studies and can be used as related

literature.

Scope and Delimitations

This study is focused on the effects of sleep deprivation on the academic

performance of grade 11 and grade 12 STEM students. The data collection will

be conducted to 25 respondents per section and we will use random sampling in

our study. 45% of the total population in grade 11 and grade 12 STEM students
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of Juan G Macaraeg National High School, school year 2022-2023 who will

represent the population. This study will not cover other problems that are not

considered as sleep deprivation. The other students which do not fall as part of

grade 11 and grade 12 STEM students are not within this scope of research. The

study would be done through the utilization of questionnaire to the students as a

survey and reference. By their strategy the researchers will be able to know the

impact of sleep deprivation on the academic performance of grade 11 and grade

12 STEM students.

Definition of Terms

The terms used in this study are conceptually and operationally defined for

better understanding of the readers.

Sleep Deprivation. Insufficient sleeping results in the condition known as

sleep deprivation, and interruptions to the sleep-wake cycle (such as those that

may be brought on by an excessive workload at school) result in the

physiological condition known as fatigue.

Academic Performance. Academic performance is a measure of a

student's achievement in several academic subjects. Teachers and education

officials often assess performance through classroom performance, performance

tasks, and periodic exam results.

Senior High School. Senior High School is a two-year specialized upper

secondary education program in which students select a specialization based on

aptitude, interests, and school capacity. Each student in Senior High School can
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choose among three tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and

Sports and Arts.

STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics. These four fields all place an emphasis on innovation, problem-

solving, and critical thinking. Together, they form a popular and rapidly expanding

industry. It is essential because, as society innovates and technology improves,

there is a growing demand for experts who understand how these technologies

work and can propose practical solutions.

WHO. Within the United Nations system, WHO is the directing and

coordinating authority for health. It is in charge of providing global health

leadership, influencing the health research agenda, establishing norms and

standards, articulating evidence-based policy alternatives, assisting nations with

technical support, and monitoring and assessing health trends.

Sleep-Wake Cycle. The sleep-wake cycle refers to our 24-hour daily

sleeping pattern, which includes approximately 16 hours of daytime wakefulness

and 8 hours of nighttime sleep.

Adolescence. Adolescence is the transitional age between childhood and

adulthood. It includes some significant changes to the body as well as the way a

teenager's biological clocks change during puberty.

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Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES

This chapter includes foreign related literature, foreign related studies,

local related literature and local related studies after the through and in-depth

search by the researchers.

Related Literature

Local

Sleep is a vital process of human existence. It is defined as

unconsciousness from which the person can be aroused by sensory or other

stimuli. The principal value of sleep is primarily thought to restore the balances

among the neuronal centers, especially in the hippocampus which is the primary

area for memory and learning. Multiple evidence exists that pathways in the brain

that are vital to learning and memory are more active during sleep. In fact, it is

often described that the process of learning occurs during waking hours, a sleep

functions in the consolidation and storage of this knowledge.

When students do not get the optimal 8 to 10 hours of sleep that they

need, they lose their ability to succeed academically. Students have trouble

retaining information, coping with stress, and staying focused (Persky, 2018).

Sleep is a complex process that we all experience every day. Without

proper sleep we cannot function properly and the risk of several different health

problems increases. The lack of sleep affects our social and work life. Learning

becomes challenging and we become forgetful. Thousands of students around

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the globe are at risk of sleep deprivation which contributes to lower academic

outcomes (Henna, 2018).

According to Colten & Altevogt (2006), sleep deprivation describes the

cumulative effect of a person not having sufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep

adversely affects the body, brain, mood and cognitive function. All aspects of

health can be impacted by sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is defined also as

not obtaining adequate total sleep. When someone is in a chronic sleep-

restricted state they will notice excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue,

clumsiness, and weight gain or weight loss. In addition, being sleep-deprived

affects both the brain and cognitive functions.

Foreign

Sleep deprivation is a term used loosely to describe a lack of

appropriate/sufficient amount of sleep. It is “abnormal sleep that can be

described in measures of deficient sleep quantity, structure and/or sleep quality”.

In a study, sleep deprivation was defined as a sleep duration of 6 hours or less.

Sleep quality is defined as “one’s satisfaction with the sleep experience,

integrating aspects of sleep initiation, sleep maintenance, sleep quantity, and

refreshment upon awakening” (Kline, 2013).

Sleep is critical for memory consolidation, learning, decision making, and

critical thinking. Sleep is thus necessary for the optimal operation of key cognitive

functions related to academic and perhaps social success in higher education.

Because of the activities the students do, their sleep habits are often one of their

first daily routines to change and not usually for the better. Both sleep deprivation
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and poor sleep quality are particularly prominent in young adult and college

student populations. Indeed, based on research within other academic fields

such as medicine and biology, we know that night’s rest is essential for helping

maintain mood, motivation, memory and cognitive performance. While asleep,

the brain integrates new knowledge and forms new associations (El, D. et. al.,

2015).

According to the National Sleep Foundation (2015) and World Health

Organization (WHO) (2004), teenagers aging 14-17 years old need 8-10 hours of

sleep, while young adults aging 18-25 years old need 7-9 hours of sleep. Sleep

has an important function for learning. The one who sleeps badly may develop.

Difficulty in sleeping may contribute to anxiety and depression. Weakening

of the frontal lobe of the brain may also hinder higher level cognitive processes

called executive functions. This can undermine judgment, critical thinking,

relationships, problem solving, planning, and organization. People who sleep less

than seven hours per night has reaction times that are similar to those who are

completely sleep deprived for one or even two nights. This leads to errors,

accidents, and impaired work performance (Peter B. 2013).

Related Studies

Local

According to Colten & Altevogt (2006), sleep deprivation describes the

cumulative effect of a person not having sufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep

adversely affects the body, brain, mood and cognitive function. All aspects of

health can be impacted by sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is defined also as

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not obtaining adequate total sleep. When someone is in a chronic sleep-

restricted state they will notice excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue,

clumsiness, and weight gain or weight loss. In addition, being sleep-deprived

affects both the brain and cognitive functions.

According to Phillips et al. (2017), research results indicate that going to

sleep and waking up at approximately the same time is as important as the

number of hours. Sleep regularity is a potentially important and modifiable factor

independent from sleep duration. Students with more regular sleep patterns had

better school grades on average. Researchers found no significant difference in

average sleep duration between most students with irregular sleep patterns and

most regular sleepers.

According to Duval (2010), only about 8 percent of high school students

get enough sleep on an average school night, a large new study finds. The

others are living with borderline-to-serious sleep deficits that could lead to

daytime drowsiness, depression, headaches and poor performance at school.

Foreign

According to James Zeitzer (2016), having inadequate sleep can affect the

students’ performance the next day, having two following nights of having less

than six hours could lead a student inactive and can cause dizziness for the rest

of the week. Researchers also found that staying up more hours before going to

bed, even if it’s followed by a full night’s sleep the next day, are more related with

slower performance of the students. But going to bed an hour earlier than the

normal time of sleep has a minor effect. The web-scale studies are responsible
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for the perception of the impact of sleep deprivation in the real world, especially

in students who are prone to this kind of situation, where people compensate for

lost sleep with extra coffee and naps, and otherwise adapt to life circumstances

that limit sleep (Zeitzer, J. 2016).

Poor grades at school are linked to sleepiness and sleep deprivation.

When a child does not get to sleep eight to nine hours per night, alertness and

school performance become significantly impaired. According to the study, those

students who did not succeed at school, those who had low school enjoyment

and many absences slept less and had high levels of daytime sleepiness

compared to those who succeeded at school. In many surveys and studies, it has

been concluded that those students who succeed at school sleep significantly

longer and go to bed earlier than those who succeed at school poorly (Wolfson &

Carskadon, 2003).

National Sleep Foundation (2015) research shows that delaying school

start times by an hour or more increases the amount of sleep adolescents get

and improves their performance in school. However, to promote optimal sleep,

Short et al. (2011) said that adolescents should have set bedtimes before 10

p.m. on school nights and consistent wake-sleep times every night.

Synthesis of the Review Literature and Studies

The both related literature and studies shows that sleep is a vital facet of

human existence that is vital to learning and memory; lack of sleep is associated

with significant impairment in learning. STEM students are a special population

because of the demands of senior high school. They are very prone to sleep
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deprivation and poor quality of sleep; hence academic performance might be

affected. It shows that poor grades at school are linked to sleepiness and sleep

deprivation.

Conceptual Framework

Conceptual framework of the effect of sleep deprivation to the academic

performance of Grade 12 STEM students.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. -Gathering of Effects of
questionnaires. sleep
-Analyzing the deprivation
2. How many hours data. on the
does a student spend academic
on school-related -Interpreting the performance
activities? data. of the
students.
3. -Presenting the
data

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discuss the methodology used in the study. It includes the

research design, sample of the study, data instrument, and collection of data.

Research Design

This section presents the research design that the researchers used in

order to pursue their study. This research employed the descriptive research
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design, which aimed to determine the effects of sleep deprivation on the

academic performance of Grade 12 STEM students.

In this study a quantitative method is used so that the questions should be

close-ended. Descriptive design will help the researchers explain better the

findings of the effect of sleep deprivation on the academic performance of Grade

12 STEM students. In this method, the researchers will use sentences and

paragraphs to explain the findings, but they will also use tables and graphs to

show more evidences.

Population and Locale Study

This study was conducted at Juan G. Macaraeg National High School

which is located exactly at Canarvacanan, Binalonan, Pangasinan. The

researchers selected the Grade 12 STEM students to be their respondents for

the reason that they have the knowledge that the researchers needed to answer

their questionnaires.

Data Gathering Instrument

The tool that the researchers will be used to gather data is survey

questionnaire since this is the most efficient and safe way to gather enough data.

A survey questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of series of items and

other prompts for the purpose of gathering information. Structured questionnaire

is a document that consists of a set of standardized questions with a fixed

scheme, which specifies the act wording and order of the questions, for gathering

information from respondents.

Data Collection Procedure

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The data will be gathered based on the following procedure.

1. Created a self-made questionnaire that corresponds on the three statement of

the problems.

2. The researchers consult their research adviser for approval of their

questionnaires.

3. Upon approval of the request, the researchers personally conduct the study by

distributing the questionnaires through google form and retrieved the

questionnaires afterwards.

4. After retrieving the questionnaires the researchers classified, encoded and

summarized the gathered data.

5. The researchers analyze and interpreted the findings of the study following the

sequence of the problems posted in chapter 1 with the help of statistical data.

Treatment of the Data

To be able to come up with a definite conclusion regarding the study, the

researchers used the following formula:

1.) Age

2.) Sex

1. Frequency distribution and percentage were used in order to answer the

statement which is the profile of the respondents

f
Formula: P= ( N )100%
¿
¿

Where:

P = percentage
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f = frequency

N = number of respondents

2. To determine the respondents’ level of awareness to the effects of sleep

deprivation, the average weighted mean was utilized.

3 f 3+2 F 2+1 F 1
WM=
N

Where:

WM= Weighted mean

F3= Number of respondents who answered “Always”

F2= Number of respondents who answered “Sometimes”

F1= Number of respondents who answered “Never”