How Do the Sleeping Habits of College Students May Lead to Failure

Chapter I

Introduction

A.   Background of the Study

Sleep deprivation is common among college students. College students are often found to balance their priorities in their studies, social life, and sleep. Most college students choose to prioritize their social life and studies leaving out on their sleep, resulting in their sleep deprivation.

Hesher, S. and Chervin, R.’s research entitled “Causes and Consequences of Sleepiness among College Students” tackles the importance of sleep and sleep hygiene among college students. They have shown that most of college students are getting less sleep than needed, and has also reported very few of students get at least 7 hours of sleep.

It also stated in the research of Hesher, S. et. al. that “At least 3 days a week, 60% of students report that they are dragging, tired, or sleepy” (http://www.dovepress.com/causes-and-consequences-of-sleepiness-among-college-students-peer-reviewed-article-NSS).

College students usually sleep later and longer than kids. It is normal for college students to change to a later and longer sleeping time due to the physiological changes that occur in the body. Normally kids sleep early at night and thus wake-up early, but when they reach their teenage years sleep and wake-up much later.

A paper done by Siri Carpenter, she revealed that teenagers naturally sleep later, wake-up later and sleep longer than when they were younger. For years people believed that as kids grow older they are required less sleep. But in recent studies it was shown that teenagers actually sleep little longer. “But to researchers' surprise, in the past two decades studies have shown that teen-agers require considerably more sleep to perform optimally than do younger children or adults” (http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct01/sleepteen.aspx).

But despite the norms of sleeping late for college students, this is actually harming them. There has also been a survey done by American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (NCHA) where the effects on students with are sleep deprivation is comparable with drug abuse and drinking of too much alcohol.

A lot of people including college students themselves believe that they could easily adjust to sleeping late and waking-up early and have no harmful effects on them. Although the reality of that belief is that college students’ sleep behaviors do not adjust accordingly and their deprivation from sleep is as harmful to them as to adults.

Having knowledge on the effects of sleep deprivation can convince students to improve their sleeping habits and plan out how they schedule their work. Therefore sleep deprivation harms college students in their performance and, more likely than not, their future.

Instead of focusing on sleep deprivation caused by sleep disorders, this paper will focus on explaining how the sleeping habits of college students that may lead to failure.

B.    Statement of the Problem

This paper aims to study the question:

1.      How do the sleeping habits of college students may lead to failure?

C.  Significance of the Study

College Students — This paper will help college students in better knowing the adverse effects of sleep deprivation. In effect this will assist them in planning out their evenings and day work schedule to have better sleeping habits.

College professors —College professors and the institution will benefit from this paper in planning out the schedule of their classes to benefit these said college students reach their best performance.

Future Researchers — This paper will benefit future researchers in creating similar studies since sleep deprivation among college students is a new topic in the Philippine nation.

D.   Scope and Delimitation

This paper will focus on the effects caused by the sleeping habits of college students. This paper will not focus on sleep deprivation based from sleeping disorders or college students who have work in the graveyard shift.

E.    Materials and Methods

Data needed for this research paper were gathered from official articles available on the internet.

F.    Definition of Terms

Sleep Deprivation – The lack of sufficient sleep on an individual to function properly.

College students – An individual who is taking on college education usually aged 16-22; adolescents – individuals between teenage and adult years.

Chapter II

Discussion

How do the sleeping habits of college students may lead to failure?

I.    Effects of Sleep Deprivation

A.   On The Circadian System

Sleep deprivation can alter and disturb an individual and their normal functioning bodily functions. Similar to the digestive system being altered when an individual eats too much or too less or eats at times unfamiliar to its regular function, the digestive system will function abnormally. Sleep deprivation can harm a person’s circadian system, the system which tells the body when to sleep or wake-up.

Dijk and Archer, in their article “Light, Sleep, and Circadian Rhythms: Together Again”, gave a study on light dependency on bodily systems such as the circadian system and how they affect the sleep cycle on an individual. They have shown that certain chemicals are substances that aid the system in when to sleep and its quality.

It was also stated that “the current study demonstrates that … alteration of light input to the brain by genetic ablation of Melanopsin alters sleep duration, wake consolidation, the quality of wakefulness” (http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1000145) i.e. Changes in the surrounding’s light changes the individual’s sleeping patterns,  and in turn affect the person’s behavior when awake.

B.    On Dopamine Receptors

The circadian system is also largely affected by and also affects dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain much like adrenaline but activates when a person is awake or senses fulfillment (e.g.  When an individual feels happy). The longer the person stays awake, the more dopamine is active in the brain, but as dopamine levels increase in the brain dopamine receptors or D2 receptors become more immune to it, making the person feel more sleepy.

 Bethany Brooskhire, under the pseudonym “Scicurious”, wrote an article “Sleep Deprived? Mind your dopamine” highlighting the research done by Volkow et al. on how dopamine affects sleepiness and wakefulness. Brookshire wrote that the experiments does show decrease in dopamine reaction in the sleep deprived group than when they were well rested. The research continued to test that the decreased reaction was due to increased levels of dopamine. The results show no significant difference.

Brookshire stated that “…The changes in D2 type receptors could help explain some of the other changes in behavior that come with sleep deprivation, changes like increases in risk taking behavior, impulsivity, and drug relapse. These are all things which increase when people are sleep deprived.” showing that the amount of dopamine on the brain can create multiple effects to an individual (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/2012/06/04/sleep-deprived-mind-your-dopamine/).

II.    Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation

A.   On Driving

Sleep deprivation causes an individual to have slower cognition and decline in alertness, evidently seen in car crashes. While driving, the individual requires constant vigilance and awareness. Drowsiness and sleeping on the wheel can cause major incidents like car crashes for both the driver and those around them.

In an article written by Namni Goel entitled “Losing Sleep: the Causes and Effects of Sleep Deprivation”, he states that a prime example of how lack of sleep affects real-world functioning is driving. Goel continues on to say that individuals who increase their chances of drowsy driving also decrease their ability to respond correctly to emergency situations.

“Sleep deprivation affects physical coordination and reaction time in a way that is very similar to excessive alcohol consumption.” states Goel (http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/sleep/art1950.html?getPage=4). Studies have shown that teenagers and adolescents are more likely to be in car crashes than more experienced drivers (http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sleep-deprived-teens-cause-crashes-study-shows-f6C10002034 , http://www.livescience.com/34520-young-drivers-sleep-car-crashes.html). Goel and other studies states that car crashes caused by drowsiness on the wheel is at par with over consumption of alcohol, or binge drinking.

B.    On Work Performance

Sleep deprivation can also have adverse effects on people’s work performance. Other than decreased awareness, sleep deprivation in an employee can cause failure in their work performance. Sleep deprivation also causes impairments in an individual’s memory and cognitive ability – the ability to think and process information.

In “How Sleep Deprivation Affects Work Performance” written by Vicki Bell, she stated that “Without adequate sleep, employees have more difficulty concentrating, learning, and communicating.” Impairments in cognitive abilities and concentration alter other brain functions causing memory lapses, decline in problem-solving skills, and intolerance to others. This can chain into problems for an individual that could cause the individual to higher stress levels. Thus make the individual uneasy throughout their day up until when they sleep (http://www.thefabricator.com/article/safety/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-work-performance).

C.  On Students

Negative effects of sleep deprivation in cognition, memory, and overall performance are already evident among employees which lead to failure, should be no different among college students. Consequently, sleep deprived college students can lead to their failure. These effects from sleep deprivation on students are comparable to the effects of students who participate in marijuana use and binge drinking.

In an article by Russell Westerholm entitled “Sleep Deprivation in College Students as Detrimental to GPA and Class Participation as Marijuana Use and Binge Drinking”, Westerholm discusses the results of Dr. Roxanne Prichard’s research done on 43,000 students. After taking factors of clinical depression, anxiety and chronic health issues out, results show that the effect on of sleep deprivation on college students on the students’ class performance and GPA is as harmful as students who do participate in marijuana use and binge drinking (http://allhospital.org/sleep_deprivation_college_students_989/).

Westerholm quotes Dr. Prichard saying “Sleep really isn't systematically approached in a way that could have major economic benefits to both the students and the universities in terms of increased retention.” Westerholm also discusses that most colleges and universities undermine the value of sleep deprivation among adolescents. This neglects the proper health of their students and just leaves them to somehow adjust their life to these abusive requirements and just walk it off.

III.     Conclusion

Since, evidences point that sleep deprivation alters how a person’s body functions, such as the circadian system and dopamine receptors, and in effect alters how an individual performs while awake, evident in the number of car crashes caused by sleep deprivation and work performance of sleep deprived employees; therefore college students who are sleep deprived will also exhibit signs of low cognition and delayed responses in their work, which results in low performance in class and low GPA grades i.e. resulting to failure.

Chapter III

Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

Summary

This paper attempted to evaluate how the sleeping habits of college students lead to failure.

The method used for this paper was to gather official articles available on the internet. The research findings are as follows:

1.      Sleep deprivation can alter an individual’s bodily functions such as the circadian system and dopamine reactions.

2.      This, in effect, also alters how the individual performs while they are awake, evident in sleep deprived drivers and employees.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1.   Sleep deprivation is a real dilemma on college students that seeks needed attention to be addressed.

2.   Sleep deprived college students will have low performance levels affecting how they perform in class and among others.

3.   Due to low performance levels, sleep deprived college students are at risk of low GPA grades and failure.

Recommendations

After drawing the conclusions of the study, the researchers hereby make the following suggestions/recommendations:

1.   Colleges, universities and their professors should understand that too much homework and projects and very early class hours are harmful to their students.

2.   Professors of colleges and universities should also educate their students on why sleeping late, whether for fun, friends or school work, is harmful to them.

3.   Sleep deprivation on college students should be treated accordingly by local health authorities similar to other possible causes of hindered class performance like binge drinking and marijuana use.

4.   Future researchers should conduct local surveys of sleep deprivation on college students, the effect on their school performance, and possible causes of sleep deprivation.

References:
Bell, V. How Sleep Deprivation Affects Work Performance. Retrieved December 12,  2014 from http://www.thefabricator.com/article/safety/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-work-performance

Brookshire, B. Sleep Deprived? Mind your dopamine. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/2012/06/04/sleep-deprived-mind-your-dopamine/

Carpenter, S. Sleep deprivation may be undermining teen health. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct01/sleepteen.aspx

Dijk, D. and Archer, S. Light, Sleep, and Circadian Rhythms: Together Again. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1000145

Goel, N. Losing Sleep: the Causes and Effects of Sleep Deprivation. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/sleep/art1950.html?getPage=4

Hesher, S. and Chervin, R. Causes and Consequences of Sleepiness among College Students. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://www.dovepress.com/causes-and-consequences-of-sleepiness-among-college-students-peer-reviewed-article-NSS

Westerholm, R. Sleep Deprivation in College Students as Detrimental to GPA and Class Participation as Marijuana Use and Binge Drinking. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://allhospital.org/sleep_deprivation_college_students_989/