Running head: SLEEP DEPRIVATION

The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Students

Clara Brown

Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi

November 2, 2019
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Abstract

Sleep plays a vital role in many aspects of student life. Getting sufficient sleep lessens the

likelihood of developing mental disorders and decreases depressive symptoms in students. In

addition to this, students that have healthy sleep patterns reported feeling more satisfied with

their lives, along with greater levels of self-esteem and positivity. Additionally, sleep has many

effects on biological processes that pertain to health, such as immune system homeostasis.

Finally, sleep was found to play a role in learning ability itself, as students with more sleep had

higher grade averages and better memory capabilities. This being the case, it is evident that

healthy sleep quantity and quality contributes to student emotional, physical, and academic

health.
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The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Students

One of the most widely known and often joked about characteristics of college students is

lack of sleep. Many students joke about “all-nighters” and the need for coffee to keep them

awake and focused in the classroom. While this is not often taken seriously, there is evidence

that lack of rest can significantly harm students mentally, physically, and academically. If

students cannot have healthy mindsets, bodies, or learning capabilities, students cannot be

expected to be successful overall. The purpose of this paper is to discuss previous studies and

articles that contribute to the idea that healthy sleep is a necessity among students.

Mental Health

Recent studies indicate that, unlike common theory in which poor mental health results

in poor sleep quality, sleep disruption initiates a variety of mental health issues, including

hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, and depression (Freeman et al., 2017). In examination of this,

when symptoms of insomnia are helped and sleep quality is improved, psychotic experiences

associated with mental disorders are reduced (Freeman et al., 2017). Similarly, individuals that

practice healthy sleep habits have lower levels of depression (Peach, Gaultney, & Gray, 2016).

When individuals lose sleep or do not sleep effectively, the body is not rested enough to handle

stress and emotions, and this in turn can challenge mental health (Peach et al., 2016). By

increasing sleep quantity and habits that encourage sleep quality, symptoms of mental disorders,

such as depression, can be reduced.

Life Satisfaction, Subjective Well- Being, and Positive Characteristics

Sleep also plays a role in what is known as life satisfaction (Ness & Saksvik-Lehouillier,

2018) or subjective well-being (Peach et al., 2016) and positive characteristics, such as optimism
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and self-esteem (Lemola, Räikkönen, Gomez & Allemand, 2013). Life satisfaction is a measure

of well being and is affected by stress, social support, and self-efficacy (Ness &

Saksvik-Lehouillier, 2018). Subjective well-being is a self-evaluation of life satisfaction based

on emotions and cognitive feelings (Peach et al., 2016). When examining the effect sleep quality

and quantity had on these understandings, it was discovered that improvements in quality and

quantity directly increased life satisfaction (Ness & Saksvik-Lehouillier, 2018) and

subjective-well being (Peach et al., 2016). Additionally, individuals that sleep longer and better

reported having higher levels of optimism and self-esteem (Lemola et al, 2013). This being the

case, sleep also plays a role in whether or not individuals feel fulfilled or dissatisfied.

Physical Health

Sleep also plays a significant role in the physical health of individuals. There is evidence

that as sleep quantity and quality decrease, multisystem biological risk, which includes risk to the

cardiovascular and immune system, Body Mass Index, along with others, increases (Carroll,

Irwin, Stein Merkin, & Seeman, 2015). Because so many body processes are interconnected

(Carroll et al., 2015), sleep deprivation can take a serious toll on the body. For instance, immune

system responses are greatly affected by sleep (Irwin, 2015). When the body is sleep deprived,

the immune system suffers in that it is not as able to fight off disease and not able to process

repairs the body needs to make (Irwin, 2015). Ample sleep allows the body to maintain

homeostasis (Irwin, 2015). This is evident as it has been found that getting insufficient sleep is

associated with lower self-rating of health (Yeo et al., 2019). Sleep deprivation also correlates

with likeliness to be overweight according to the Body Mass Index (Yeo et al., 2019). Overall,
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sleep allows the body to rest, heal, and balance. When individuals do not have enough sleep, this

is overthrown and physical health can significantly be harmed.

Memory

In addition to mental and physical state, learning ability itself is greatly affected by sleep

deprivation (Hershner & Chervin, 2014). Within sleep, periods of Rapid Eye Movement (REM)

and non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) play a vital role in memory (Hershner & Chervin,

2014). Sleep provides an opportunity for the mind to process information from the day without

stimuli to interrupt (Rasch & Born, 2013). This allows for long term memory storage (Rasch &

Born, 2013). This being the case, when REM cycle is disturbed, memories cannot be

consolidated as necessary (Ahrberg, Dresler, Niedermaier, Steiger & Genzel, 2012) and thus

student performance may suffer (Hershner & Chervin, 2014). Moreover, studies revealed that

individuals are more prone to retain information after a period of learning when they sleep

between the learning period and application of knowledge (Rasch & Born, 2013). Overall, sleep

allows the body to store memories and learned information more effectively.

Cognitive Function

The REM cycle also greatly affects procedural memory and creative problem solving

(Rasch & Born, 2013). In one study, it was found that when comparing individuals with less than

five hours of sleep and those with more than five hours of sleep, those that had slept more

showed more complex cognitive function than those sleep deprived (Hershner & Chervin, 2014).

Lack of sleep limits students’ ability to process information and thus act on that information.

Academic Achievement
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When in combination with high levels of stress, often experienced by students, lack of

sleep can have a significant negative effect on exam scores (Ahrber et al., 2012). One study

revealed that students who got more sleep and had steady sleep habits earned higher grades

(Gaultney, 2010) and those that rated their sleep quality as low had, on average, lower GPAs

(Sarbaze Vatan, Amini, Aminisani, & Shamshirgaran, 2017). In one study, it was found that after

periods of sleep deprivation, students that had been asked to choose a mathematical equation to

solve after a full night’s sleep, choose equations that were less challenging upon waking after a

night of sleep deprivation (Gaultney, 2010). This reflects that with exhaustion, students are less

likely to challenge themselves (Gaultney, 2010). This being the case, students that are sleep

deprived are more likely to take less challenging classes, and may therefore limit their academic

opportunities (Gaultney, 2010). Because of its vast effects on health and learning ability, sleep

deprivation has the ability to greatly upset academic performance among students.

Conclusion

Overall it is evident that sleep is vital to student success. When students are suffering

from mental disorders and aspects of depression, it is difficult to fully participate in class

activities and productivity. Further, student self-esteem and positivity greatly affect student

capability to succeed socially and intellectually. When physical health is affected on top of this,

students are not able to attend class or focus on studies. Finally, in order to learn well, students

must have strong memory capabilities. Sleep deprivation can cause symptoms of depression,

worsen mental disorders, lower self-esteem and positive attitude, put students at greater risk of

physical health problems, and weaken learning abilities. This being the case, being sleep

deprived may bring students to academic failure. In order to ensure that students have the highest
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likelihood of success and healthy experience, it is best to improve sleeping habits and duration.

By getting a healthy amount of sleep, students are much more likely to be healthy overall and

academically successful.
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