Sleep Deprivation in College Students

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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Abstract
The aim of this study is to describe a literature review of twelve research article related to 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, less sleep, College students, causes
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 are 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.
Literature Review
The majority of college students love to sleep.however majority of the college students don't take
the time to go to bed early. 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
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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 rather 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.
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 have 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, p.1)
Another interesting article that was reviewed was taken with 191 undergraduates. Each student
was given a “sleep habits” questionnaire to fill out; These were 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 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, p.6)
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
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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 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.
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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 students 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, p.4)
Sleep is not only limited to avoiding mental illnesses, obesity, and learning but also many other
conditions. In 2014, Healthy People 2020 listed a number of benefits adequate sleep can do such as: 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
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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 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,
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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
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 three articles that showed numerous ways on how to increase sleep in
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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 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
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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 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. T

he results of this study were very successful. Overall, the
students 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. In
later research of this issue should be, Are students not getting enough sleep when they first start college or
later in their college career? Some interventions for this research would be an evaluation for incoming
college students at orientation and also do an evaluation for newly graduates. This will give a comparison
of numbers and will help with finding a solution for sleep deprivation. 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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