Running Head: Sleep and College Academics 1

Sleep Length and Quality of Sleep on College Student’s Academics

Ryan Asuncion

HSC4730

University of North Florida

20 April 2020
Running Head: Background 2

Background

While most college students seem to think that they do not get enough free time/time to

relax the consensus among researchers is that college students do not get enough sleep. Research

shows that the lack of sleep is greatly affecting their performance in the classroom. College is a

time where young adults receive the education and foundation that sets them up for their careers

and the rest of their lives. But when they don’t obtain enough sleep, their academic performance

falls sharply. The lack of sleep is made evident by students napping in class or having to take

naps throughout the day for them to be awake during class time. In order to understand how

sleep deprivation negatively impacts college students, the state of being sleep deprived must be

defined first. Sleep can be defined as simply “not getting a consistent or adequate amount of

sleep” (Horowitz, 2019). This leads us into the glaring issue that is poor academic performance

as a result of little to no sleep.

Many studies show that there seems to be a relationship between a college student sleep

cycle and their subsequent poor performance academically. College/university students tend to

be the focus groups of these sleep studies due in part to them being one of the largest groups at

risk for losing sleep. The scary part to all of this is that, “insufficient and irregular sleep has been

well documented among college students” (Ye, et al, 2015). What makes sleep deprivation

incredibly detrimental to academic performance in college students is that it “affects cognitive

and motor processes as well as emotional stability” (Lowry, et al, 2010). Since sleep deprivation

affects students both cognitively and emotionally, it shifts their focus to other areas not relating

to their classwork resulting in their grades suffering. College is a major steppingstone for young

adults and somewhat of a change, they tend to fall into an “irregular sleep-wake cycle

characterized by short sleep length on weekdays and phase delays on weekends” (Gilbert, et al,
Running Head: Background 3

2013). Lastly, what makes sleep crucial to college students is that it allows them to retain

important information, but “when sleep deprivation occurs during the college years, it presents

an obstacle to maximizing individuals’ success during this critical time (Chen, et al, 2019).

Naturally, to promote a healthy lifestyle and avoid injuries and other ailments, adults on average

require seven-eight hours of sleep per night, but college students tend to sleep much less

(Mnatzaganian, et al, 2019). According to other research that has been conducted, it was

determined that “sleep disturbance has been consistently rated as a top impediment to academic

performance in college students” (Ye, et al, 2015).

When it comes to sleep and academics, there are a few factors that each share and they

would be: the quality of their sleep, the duration of their sleep, and how consistently they slept.

In one study it showed that: “no relationship between sleep measures on the single night before a

test and test performance; instead sleep duration and quality for the month and the week before a

test correlated with better grades” (Okano, et al, 2019). After the study in Ethiopia concluded, it

found that “students with better sleep quality scores achieved better on their academic

performance, while sleep duration was not associated with academic performance (Lemma, et al,

2013). Interestingly, students outside of the US, college/universities in another country

experience the same phenomena in relation to sleep patterns and academic performance.

It is also of note that there are many different behaviors that college students exhibit as a

result of diminished sleep are “emotional imbalance, fatigue, poor concentration, impaired

memory, and generally lower satisfaction” (Ye, et al, 2015). These are all results of sleep cycles

that have been interrupted due to long hours of studying for college students. The biggest

consequence however seems to be napping. Napping can be both beneficial and harmful at the

same time. It has been hypothesized that napping as a result of a restricted sleep schedule can
Running Head: Background 4

increase neurobehavioral performance” (Ye, et al, 2015). On the other hand, “longer naps can

cause sleep inertia, which is associated with confusion, grogginess, and deficits to cognitive

performance” (Ye, et al, 2015). The biggest downside listed was the deficit to cognitive

performance which could possibly hinder a college student’s academic. Another behavior that

could result in a negative academic performance would be the act of napping in class which

seems to be a direct result While this looks to be the case, the full effects of napping-both good

and bad-need to be studied more in depth to gain a better understanding (Ye, et al, 2015).

A study done by Gilbert and Weaver was determined to be “the first study to have found

a relationship between poor sleep quality and lower academic performance using a large sample

size” (Gilbert, et al, 2010). It seems as those most research being done on this topic is being

carried out using a small sample size to represent the entire population. This being said, while

most research done in this category generated findings that showed an association between sleep

in college students and their subsequent academic performance, it has been concluded that

“further research is needed to identify mechanisms of change and the impact of longer term sleep

deprivation in this population [college students]” (Patrick, et al, 2017). “Promotion of university

and college policies and class schedules that encourage healthy and adequate sleep could have a

significant impact on the sleep, learning, and health of college students” (Hershner, et al, 2014)

should be taken into account and furthermore, implemented so that way hardworking college

students can receive the grades they so rightly deserve. Through extensive research that will be

conducted, the aim is to find out whether the length of sleep and sleep quality effect a college

students academics.
Running Head: Background 5

Methods

In order to carry out this research, 2 additional researchers were used to help develop

questions for the self-reported sleep survey that were to be given out as well as help with the

collection of the data received from surveys that were completed. The resources that will be used

in this research are as followed: sleep survey and the emails of the population that will be

studied.

The focus population in the study are undergraduate college students. This is the target

population because through other studies done, undergraduate students seem to be at a higher

risk at not getting enough sleep and doing poorly in the classroom. The eligibility was

determined through three pre-survey questions. In this scenario if a student were to answer

“YES” to all three questions they would be cleared to receive the post survey if they desired to

participate. Conversely, if a student were to answer “NO” to any one question then they would

be ineligible to participate in the post survey. Another exclusion criterion would be if they were a

graduate student. The reason why a graduate student would be excluded from this research

would simply be because they do not fit into our target population which were undergraduate

students. For the research and subsequent survey, we would use a convenience sample of 30

undergraduate students. Since the study focused on undergraduate students, we would ask a

college professor for all the emails of the students on the roster. After gathering the emails, we

will send out 2 individual emails to the students; the first will be the qualifying survey and the

second one will be the actual survey in which the data would be collected and analyzed from.

The type of study design that will be implemented is a cross-sectional study because the

aim is to find out a particular outcome from a certain exposure. In this case the exposure will be

napping in class and the outcomes is a student’s academic performance. A cross-sectional study
Running Head: Background 6

seems to be the most appropriate study method because it can be done at a single point in time.

In the case of this study, students are not monitored for a certain period but rather administered a

self-reported survey about the amount of sleep they received in recent days or weeks and how

they fared academically based upon their sleep amount, quality, or length. The study that is being

performed requires a self-reported survey that will touch on a student’s quality of sleep. length of

sleep, and amount of sleep. From this data, we aim to find out if -at all- there is a correlation

between sleep and their academic performance.

In this study we do believe that their will be a problem. The biggest problem is also the

smallest one which is non-participation. If this is to be the case, the remedy to this problem

would to be ask other professors-with students in the same cohort as our focus population-for

their emails and send them both surveys to complete. After the data is collected and analyzed, it

will be inputted into a spreadsheet where the data can be calculated and interpreted into easy to

see and read charts.

For our research and survey, informed consent will be given. In the emails given out,

there will be a message describing what the survey will be about, how many questions there will

be, and what to expect. Although the research being done does not in anyway, touch on sensitive

subjects or may be viewed as inappropriate, things like a certain grade or GPA might not want to

be shared so as a result, informed consent was given so that the participants could decide

whether or not they wanted to participate. The study should only take one day because it is self-

reported and has the participant reflect on his or her own sleep habits and academic performance.

The ideal time to start this survey would be around final exam week because this is when the

most stress is put on a student and their sleep decreases. For our survey to be completed on time,

the first task that would need to be done would be to get consent and gather the emails of the
Running Head: Background 7

target population [undergraduates]. The second task that would need to be done would be to

administer both pre- and post-surveys. Third, after one full day, the data needs to be collected,

analyzed and interpreted. Finally, the last step would be to present the findings.

Data and Analysis

Pilot Study

During the Spring of 2020, A study and research was done to determine if the length of a

college student’s sleep effects their academic performance. A survey was sent to 30 UNF

students. The Sleep and Academics survey was designed in a way that those students would self-

report their length of sleep and their grade on an exam following their reported length of sleep.

The survey was administered during the Spring 2020 semester. The survey was

anonymously self-reported using Qualtrics-which is a survey tool. Out of the 30 surveys

distributed 26 students responded for a response rate of 86%.

Pilot Study Data Analysis

Of the students who responded (s=26), 12.5 % reported that they got 1-4 hours of sleep

the night before an exam, 70.8% reported that they got 5-7 hours of sleep, and 16.7% said that

they got 8 or more hours of sleep the night prior to an exam (Figure 1).
Running Head: Background 8

Fig. 1

Amount of Sleep Students Recieved on the Night Before an Exam

80.0%
70.8%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0% 16.7%
12.5%
10.0%
0.0%
1-4 Hours 5-7 Hours 8 or More

In regards to grades, students who reported their length of sleep also reported the grade

they received on the following exam. Of the students who responded, 25% said they received

A’s, 50% said they received B’s, and 25% said they received C’s (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2

Grade Recieved on Exam Following Reported Length of Sleep

50%
50%

40%

30%
25% 25%

20%

10%

0%
A B C
Running Head: Background 9

The goal of this research was to find out if the length of sleep corresponds with academic

performance and grades received on following exams. From the beginning, it was hypothesized

that the length of sleep the night before the exam, would greatly impact the grade the students

received. At the conclusion of the study it was found that no students received an A on their

exam following 1-4 hours of sleep the night before, around 66.7% of students received B’s while

about 33.3% of students received a C after 1-4 hours of sleep. In comparison, about 23.5% of the

students reported they received an A on their exam following 5-7 hours of sleep, with 52.9%

received B’s and 23.5%. On the other hand, it was reported that 50% of students received A’s

25% received B’s and 25% received after getting 8 or more hours of sleep the night before

(Figure 3)

Figure 3

Number of Hours of Sleep in Relation to Grades Recieved on

60.00% 52.94% 50.00%

A B C

The most surprising result of the result was that even with only 1-4 hours of sleep a good

number of students received B’s. It was expected that grades would be around 5%-10% for B’s

with C’s being around 20% and D’s and F’s being among the highest reported scores. To provide

an explanation for possible bias that could come from this data set, 1) those whose 1-4 hours of
Running Head: Background 10

sleep could have possibly received lower than a C but were inclined to put B’s and C’s as to not

feel embarrassed. 2) The exams taken might have been easy or open book which would explain

the high number of B’s and C’s and the absence of A’s, D’s and F’s. This data however is not

sufficient enough and does not represent the entire undergraduate population, therefore, more

research needs to be done to say with the utmost certainty that the length of sleep corresponds

with academic performance like grades on exams.

The proposed study that will be carried out will evaluate the entire UNF undergraduate

population as well as the undergraduate population from Universities across the US.

Research Proposal Data Analysis

The proposed study will include two categorical variables. The first variable being the

amount of sleep each student received the night before an exam. The second variable that will be

the grades received on the exams. This cross-sectional survey will be done over the course of one

full school year with students receiving the survey at the end finals week during the Fall, Spring

and Summer semesters. The data that will be collected from the survey over the course of said

full school year will be analyzed and entered into multiple regressions models to determine the

true validity on if sleep does in fact, impact a student’s grade on an exam.

Data Dissemination Plan

Once the survey has been completed, the research team publish the findings into multiple

peer-reviewed journals focused on college-level education. After publication, the results of the

research will be presented to colleges/universities around the country so that they can see the

trend and adjust or make any changes to the curriculum to allow better success for their current

and any future student. Hopefully, the data presented will encourage prospective and current
Running Head: Background 11

students to change their sleeping habits to ensure success and achieve higher scores on future

exams.
Running Head: Background 12

Appendix A: Codebook

# Variable Question from Response Variable Recode

Name Survey Categories Type

hours did you Hours, 8 or Categorical =1

sleep last More 5-7 Hours

night? =2

8 or more

=3
2 Q7 What grade A-C Numeric, A=1 recoded

did you Categorical B=2

receive on C=3

your exam

following your

response to

question 4?

References
Running Head: Background 13

Chen, W.-L., & Chen, J.-H. (2019). Consequences of inadequate sleep during the college

years: Sleep deprivation, grade point average, and college graduation. Preventive Medicine, 124,

23–28.

Gilbert, S. P., & Weaver, C. C. (2010). Sleep Quality and Academic Performance in

University Students: A Wake-Up Call for College Psychologists. Journal of College Student

Psychotherapy, 24(4), 295–306.

Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among

college students. Nature and Science of Sleep, 73.

Horowitz, D. (2019). Sleep deprivation Salem Press.

Lemma, S., Berhane, Y., Worku, A., Gelaye, B., & Williams, M. A. (2013). Good quality

sleep is associated with better academic performance among university students in

Ethiopia. Sleep and Breathing, 18(2), 257–263.

Lowry, M., Dean, K., & Manders, K. (2010). The Link Between Sleep Quantity and

Academic Performance for the College Student.

Mnatzaganian, C. L., Atayee, R. S., Namba, J. M., Brandl, K., & Lee, K. C. (2020). The

effect of sleep quality, sleep components, and environmental sleep factors on core curriculum

exam scores among pharmacy students. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 12(2),

119–126.
Running Head: Background 14

Ye, L., Johnson, S. H., Keane, K., Manasia, M., & Gregas, M. (2015). Napping in

College Students and Its Relationship With Nighttime Sleep. Journal of American College

Health, 63(2), 88–97.

Patrick, Y., Lee, A., Raha, O., Pillai, K., Gupta, S., Sethi, S., … Moss, J. (2017). Effects

of sleep deprivation on cognitive and physical performance in university students. Sleep

Medicine, 40.