SLEEP
DEPRIVATION
Across the Nine
Colleges at
Clemson University
ISABELLA ZARZACA, LAUREN PATTERSON, MAGGIE
BURRISS, CAROLINE MUNTER
Table of Contents
Project Overview 3
Introduction 4
Rationale 6
Scope 7
Budget 8
Methods 9
Task Breakdown 12
Conclusion 13
Bibliography 14
Project Overview
Sleep deprivation has become a common concern among college students.
Nearly 70.6% of college students are considered to be sleep deprived receiving
less than 8 hours of sleep each night (Hershner, Shelley D, and Ronald D Chervin).
Lack of sleep has been linked to changes in mood, difficulty focusing, and
memory issues, among many other negative effects. These effects have been
linked to academic performance in correlation to lack of sleep, showing that
undergraduate students who experience less than the recommended amount of
sleep each night perform worse academically.
It is important to study the effect of sleep deprivation in our own
community. In order to do this, we will put together a survey including a list of
questions in which students will be asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 how they feel
about each question (1 being poor and 5 being great). Students will also be
required to wear a sleep tracking device in order to show how many hours a night
they are receiving quality sleep. In order to provide incentive for students to
choose to be part of the survey, students will be rewarded in the form of a
monetary credit.
By surveying people within each college at Clemson University, we will be
able to collect feedback regarding the amount of sleep they get per night and ask
questions regarding their mental health as well as their academic performance.
This feedback will provide more information on the importance of sleep and bring
light to the issues faced ultimately helping provide a better understanding of how
to find solutions for better sleep habits, academic performance and overall mental
state.
Introduction
Sleep deprivation in undergraduate college students impacts their
well-being and academic performance. The part of the body that suffers the
most from sleep deprivation is the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The
prefrontal cortex is responsible for all higher level thinking and decision
making and serves as the bridge that joins sleep deprivation, academic
performance, and mental health (Chervin and Hershner).
Scientific studies are constantly developing on the topic of sleep in
various classes of individuals, but there lies a gap in our immediate
community here at Clemson University and the examination of our student
dynamic across many majors. Yearly, the members of the undergraduate
admissions committee selects a class of driven and high achieving
students, and the course-load some students are receiving may actually be
detrimental to their well-being and academic success.
Introduction
Our mission is to conduct research regarding the direct
correlation between one’s major and the amount of sleep that they
receive. The amount of sleep one receives reveals the deeper
relationship between sleep deprivation, mental illness, and regular
fatigue. Specifically, we are performing a series of questionnaire
based studies from a diverse group of ten undergraduate students
from each of the nine colleges at Clemson University.
By performing this study once during a typical week of work
and once during an exam week, we will gain adequate knowledge
regarding the amount of sleep the individual receives, if they
experience daytime sleepiness, if they are suffering from a mental
health disorder, and what their major specific GPA is. The data
collected from each college will guide our examination of the
relationship between the college’s work-load and sleep as well as if
a certain group of individuals is suffering from these effects more
than another.
Rationale
Undergraduate students experiencing low levels of mental health
due to low sleep quality is not a new phenomenon. According to Natalie
Guadiana and Taylor L. Okashima, who are esteemed researchers from
The Dominican University of Southern California, found that “that
sufficient sleep quantity is necessary to function adequately as an
undergraduate college student” (Guadiana and Okashima, 2021).
Many studies have shown that low sleep quality has a positive
correlation with low academic performance and low mental health, and
vice versa. Throughout these studies, any student who attends any
university undergraduate program can be a part of the experimental
group. Although these studies are important for showing the correlation
between sleep and well-being, there is a gap in this research that
fails to recognize how sleep affects students specifically at Clemson
University, and how it differs across each of the nine colleges.
Examining students specifically at Clemson University will
contribute to a larger discussion on how different undergraduate
college majors affect students’ wellbeing, specifically quality of sleep.
Testing students across the nine colleges at Clemson University will
also fill gaps in the discussion of how different undergraduate students
from different undergraduate studies experience varied levels of sleep
and how their specific curriculum may affect it.
Scope
We will examine a diverse group of 10 undergraduate students
from each of the nine colleges at Clemson University to
determine the impacts our student body experiences from
sleep deprivation.
Study will be questionnaire based and performed during a
regular week of school, which will act as our control data for the
study, and an exam week in which students have heavy course
load. We will ask how many hours of sleep they received, if they
experience daytime sleepiness, if they are suffering from a
mental health disorder, and what their major specific GPA is.
Budget
We predict to have a budget of $2,500 in
order to provide monetary incentives and sleep-
tracking devices.
In total, it is expected that we will need 90
sleep-tracking devices, which comes to a total
cost of $1,800. The remaining $700 will be used
to provide monetary-related incentives in the
form of gift cards.
Methods
Research Design
1.1. Study Type
This research will employ a cross-sectional,
quantitative design to examine the impact of
sleep on undergraduate students at Clemson
University.
1.2. Sampling Strategy
A stratified random sampling method will be
employed to ensure representation from each
of the nine colleges at Clemson University.
Stratification will be based on the student
enrollment numbers in each college.
Participants
2.1. Inclusion Criteria
Participants will include undergraduate
students currently enrolled at Clemson
University in any of the nine colleges.
2.2. Exclusion Criteria
Students who are not currently enrolled or who
do not provide informed consent will be
excluded from the study.
Methods
Data Collection
3.1. Survey Instrument
A structured questionnaire will be developed based on validated
sleep assessment tools, The survey will also include demographic
questions and academic performance indicators. In addition, the
participants will be monitored with a device such as an apple watch
or a fit bit
3.2. Survey Distribution
The survey will be administered electronically using an online
platform. Participants will be contacted through university
communication channels, and informed consent will be obtained
before survey participation.
Variables
4.1. Independent Variable
Sleep patterns and habits of undergraduate students.
4.2. Dependent Variables
a. Academic Performance
b. Physical and Mental Health
c. Overall Well-being
Methods
Data Analysis
5.1. Statistical Methods
Descriptive statistics, such as mean and
standard deviation, will be used to
characterize sleep patterns. Inferential
statistics, including regression analysis,
will be employed to explore the
relationship between sleep variables
and academic/health outcomes.
5.2. Significance Level
A significance level of 0.05 will be used
for all statistical tests.
Timeline
The research will be conducted over a
period of a month, including survey
development, data collection, analysis,
and report writing. This will give a fair
window for each student to have had a
few exams, quizzes, or projects.
Task Breakdown
Conclusion
Many undergraduate students struggle with sleep deprivation and
the adverse effects it has on both mental and academic performance.
Over 80% of undergrad students have said that their ability to perform
academically is affected by how much sleep they get each night
(Emerson, Joe). Understanding sleep deprivation and its effects on
University students can help create new ways to combat the issues
associated with it.
By conducting a study and collecting data from Clemson University
students from each college, information regarding sleep deprivation and
its effects on students will be apparent. In order to perform this study,
we will be studying ten students from each of the nine colleges within
Clemson University and ask them to wear a sleep monitor as well as
answer a series of questions. This information will provide data to show
how their sleep affects them both academically and mentally.
After collecting this information, a correlation between sleep and
how it affects college students will be made. Collecting this information
will emphasize how vital sleep is and how not receiving adequate sleep
each night negatively affects college students. This study will shine a
light on new ways to combat sleep deprivation in order to provide a
better understanding of why this occurs and what can be done to
prevent it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Creswell, J. David, et al. “Nightly Sleep Duration Predicts Grade Point Average in the
First Year of College.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the
United States of America, vol. 120, no. 8, National Academy of Sciences, Feb.
2023, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2209123120.
Emerson, Joe. The Importance of Sleep for College Students. 15 July 2022,
admissions.usf.edu/blog/the-importance-of-sleep-for-college-students.
Guadiana, Natalie and Okashima, Taylor L., "The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on College
Students" (2021). Nursing | Senior Theses. 30.
https://doi.org/10.33015/dominican.edu/2021.NURS.ST.09
Mbous, Yves Paul Vincent, et al. “Psychosocial Correlates of Insomnia Among College
Students.” Preventing Chronic Disease, vol. 19, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Sept. 2022, https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd19.220060.
Rosso, Anthony C., et al. “Frequent Restful Sleep Is Associated with the Absence of
Depressive Symptoms and Higher Grade Point Average Among College
Students.” Sleep Health, vol. 6, no. 5, 2020, pp. 618–22,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2020.01.018
Schlarb, Angelika Anita et al. “Sleep problems in university students - an intervention.”
Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment vol. 13 1989-2001. 26 Jul. 2017,
doi:10.2147/NDT.S142067
Stepping Blocks Team. “Top 5 Sleepiest College Majors.” Steppingblocks,
blog.steppingblocks.com/is-your-college-major-the-most-sleep-deprived
MacDowell, Rose. “The Best and Worst Colleges for Sleep.” Sleepopolis, 16 Aug. 2023,
sleepopolis.com/education/the-best-worst-colleges-for-sleep.
THANK
YOU
RESEARCH
PROPOSAL
BY :
MAGGIE, CAROLINE,
ISABELLA, LAUREN
