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
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Stepping Blocks Team. “Top 5 Sleepiest College Majors.” Steppingblocks,
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THANK
YOU

RESEARCH
PROPOSAL

BY :
MAGGIE, CAROLINE,
ISABELLA, LAUREN