SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
1
AP Seminar: COMPETENCY-BASED ASSESSMENT
GC 1.1
IRR Completion
Name: Alyazya Alkhyeli
Homework 1: 15 marks
Introduction:
Sleep plays an imperative role in maintaining a healthy body and academic excellence. The human body
requires a good amount of sleep each night to properly maintain physiological health; if not, the body can
become sleep deprived. The focus of this report is to investigate the physical effects of sleep deprivation on
students academic achievement. Sleep deprivation occurs when the body does not get enough hours of
sleep. Dr. Matt Bianchi, MD, Ph.D., is a board-certified neurologist in Boston, Massachusetts, and author
of "Your Sleep Story", currently employed with Apple Health Technologies, wrote that sleep deprivation
can negatively affect your brain and body, and that it robs the brain of essential housekeeping and a host of
other functions (Bianchi, 2013). On scrutinizing students sleeping patterns, research done by (Guadiana,
n.d.) has proven that sleep deprivation is prevalent among students. As a result, academic performance is
often negatively impacted. Therefore, as a healthy habit, students must learn the causes and effects of sleep
deprivation. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about healthy behaviors is a healthy diet and
exercise. Even though that is true, many people neglect the importance of sleep in favor of eating well and
exercising. Sleep is a very crucial aspect of health that many people seem to disregard. Due to this, many
people are not aware that their bodies are sleep deprived. According to new research by (Bandyopadhyay
& Sigua, 2019) any reduction in sleep time, even if it is only 25–30 minutes, can negatively impact your
body physically and mentally. This is why it is important to maintain a regular sleeping schedule. Students
suffering from sleep deprivation experience negative effects on their physical health and academic
performance.
Causes of sleep deprivation among students:
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
2
Students are recommended to sleep for an average of 9 to 11 hours daily, but Bandyopadhyay and Sigua
(2019) found that 73% of high school students get less than 8 hours of sleep on school nights. The most
common cause of sleep deprivation is insufficient sleep, however, other factors can contribute to sleep
deprivation. Like poor sleeping habits, low sleep quality, increased caffeine intake, sleep disorders (like
insomnia and sleep apnea), and stressful academic demands. Irregular sleep schedules and using
technology before bed are some examples of bad sleeping habits, and over time they can cause poor sleep
quality. (Cheng et al., 2012) conducted a study to examine the prevalence of poor sleep quality among
university students, it was found that 54.7 % of students had poor sleep quality, and 64.8% woke up more
than once a night (Sweileh, 2011). Another factor that causes sleep deprivation is an increase in the
consumption of caffeine. When people are sleep-deprived, caffeine can restore wakefulness and improve
cognitive performance (Snel & Lorist, 2011). This encourages students to consume more caffeine because
it helps them focus more effectively, even when they are tired. It has been reported by (Alfawaz et al.,
2020) that university students might be at a particularly high risk of negative effects due to the excessive
intake of caffeine. Sleep disorders are another factor causing sleep deprivation. Although most sleep
disorders, once diagnosed, can be managed with limited consultations (Chokroverty, 2010). According to
new research from (Olanrewaju et al., 2020), the NSF conducted surveys that observed at least 40 million
Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders.
How sleep affects the physical body:
Sleep plays an important part in learning, and when a person doesn’t get the right amount of sleep, neurons
in the brain might not fire properly and the body becomes out of sync. When a person is deprived of
adequate sleep, they look noticeably exhausted, and their thinking is sluggish and unfocused. Increased
stress responsivity and emotional distress are all part of the short-term effects of sleep deprivation (Medic
et al., 2017). Although it can’t be detected by the human eye, there are also long-term effects of sleep
deprivation. Some examples include hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, etc…
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
3
(Medic et al., 2017). The increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system can develop long-term
consequences of sleep deprivation. People who experience sleep deprivation have an elevated BP (high
systolic blood pressure) and an increased risk of developing hypertension. Hypertension, one of the longterm effects of sleep deprivation, occurs when blood pressure is higher than normal. This may not sound
very alarming, but over time it can lead to a higher risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke (High
Blood Pressure Symptoms, Causes, and Problems | cdc.gov, 2021). There is a lot of research that suggests a
link between a short amount of sleep time and an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Sleep deprivation activates several physiopathological pathways, such as autonomic nervous system
dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, increased inflammation, coagulation, and oxidative stress responses
(Tobaldini et al., 2017). Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that puts people at a higher risk of
diabetes and coronary heart disease. When the body doesn’t get enough sleep, hormonal and metabolic
regulations become desynchronized, which is known to contribute to the development of metabolic
syndrome. Various studies have reported an association between short sleep duration and an increased
prevalence of metabolic syndrome, short sleepers are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome compared
to regular sleepers (Weiss et al., 2013d).
How sleep affects students’ academic life:
Sleep plays a massive role in a person’s academic life; it can make or break it. Sleep deprivation can cause
poor memory consolidation (making the student not remember what was studied), inattention, and
increased fatigue and sleepiness (Okano et al., 2019). With that being said, the majority, if not all, of
students suffer from increasing academic demands (Guadiana, n.d.). Required coursework, long study
hours, and work schedules can be difficult to manage, and when a student is not getting the right amount of
sleep, this can worsen the problem and affect their academic performance negatively. Nowadays, very few
students prioritize their sleep, the night before an exam or an important submission, students prefer to work
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
4
all night than choose to rest. Students expect that this will allow them to get a better mark, but realistically,
that is not the truth, instead of getting a good mark that student is given a bad mark. There is a significant
relationship between sleep duration and an overall score, a greater amount of sleep was associated with a
higher overall score (Okano et al., 2019).
Solution:
It is undeniable that sleep deprivation is common among students, but fortunately, it can be managed and
treated. We as a society should enlighten students on the negative effects that sleep deprivation can have on
their physical health and academic performance. When students understand how sleep is very important,
only then will they start putting in the effort to prioritize their sleep. One way they can do this is by
managing their schoolwork, by doing this their educational life will be more organized and consequently,
they will have more time to sleep. Another way students can prioritize their sleep is by having a consistent
sleep schedule, they can construct their day and set exactly how many hours they have to spend studying.
By doing that they will notice that their schoolwork will be done and they can rest to be ready for the next
day.
Conclusion:
"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
Benjamin Franklin
This saying points out that a person who gets sufficient sleep every day and wakes up early will have a
successful life. It emphasizes how important sleep is, and if we neglect it, we can become sleep deprived.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on students' physical health and academic performance. This is
mainly because sleep is always underestimated by students, most of them view sleep as an optional and
non-essential thing. When in actuality it is very crucial, disregarding sleep can increase stress responsivity
and emotional distress in our body. As well as causing students to receive bad marks. To be a successful
student, sleep should always be the number one priority in life.
5
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
6
References
Alfawaz, H. A., Khan, N., Yakout, S. M., Khattak, M. N. K., Alsaikhan, A. A., Almousa, A. A.,
Alsuwailem, T. A., Almjlad, T. M., Alamri, N. A., Alshammari, S. G., & Al-Daghri, N. M. (2020).
Prevalence, Predictors, and Awareness of Coffee Consumption and Its Trend among Saudi Female
Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(19), 7020.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197020
Bandyopadhyay, A., & Sigua, N. L. (2019). What Is Sleep Deprivation? American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 199(6), P11–P12. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.1996p11
Bianchi, M. T. (2013). Sleep Deprivation and Disease: Effects on the Body, Brain and Behavior
(2014th ed.). Springer.
Cheng, S. H., Shih, C. C., Lee, I. H., Hou, Y. W., Chen, K. C., Chen, K. T., Yang, Y. K., & Yang,
Y. C. (2012). A study on the sleep quality of incoming university students. Psychiatry Research, 197(3),
270–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2011.08.011
Guadiana, N. (n.d.). The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on College Students. Dominican Scholar.
Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-senior-theses/30/
High Blood Pressure Symptoms, Causes, and Problems | cdc.gov. (2021, May 18). Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm
Medic, G., Wille, M., & Hemels, M. (2017). Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep
disruption. Nature and Science of Sleep, Volume 9, 151–161. https://doi.org/10.2147/nss.s134864
Okano, K., Kaczmarzyk, J. R., Dave, N., Gabrieli, J. D. E., & Grossman, J. C. (2019). Sleep
quality, duration, and consistency are associated with better academic performance in college students. Npj
Science of Learning, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z
Olanrewaju, O. S., Qudus Tosin, J. A., Babangida, U. I., Getso, A. M., & Helen, S. (2020).
Perceived Effect of Sleep Deprivation on the Health of Undergraduates in Kwara State University, Malete,
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
7
Nigeria. Indian Journal of Public Health Research &Amp; Development, 11(1), 895.
https://doi.org/10.37506/v11/i1/2020/ijphrd/193947
S. Chokroverty. (2010). Overview of sleep & sleep disorders. Indian Journal of Medical Research,
131, 126–140. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20308738/
Snel, J., & Lorist, M. M. (2011). Effects of caffeine on sleep and cognition. Progress in Brain
Research, 105–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-53817-8.00006-2
Sweileh, W. M. (2011, July 15). Sleep habits and sleep problems among Palestinian students Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. BioMed Central.
https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1753-2000-5-25
Team, B. A. S. (2022, March 25). Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep (and
How Much You Really Need a Night). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-bodydont-get-enough-sleep/
Tobaldini, E., Costantino, G., Solbiati, M., Cogliati, C., Kara, T., Nobili, L., & Montano, N. (2017).
Sleep, sleep deprivation, autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular diseases. Neuroscience &Amp;
Biobehavioral Reviews, 74, 321–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.004
Weiss, R., Bremer, A. A., & Lustig, R. H. (2013a). What is metabolic syndrome, and why are
children getting it? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1281(1), 123–140.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12030
Weiss, R., Bremer, A. A., & Lustig, R. H. (2013b). What is metabolic syndrome, and why are
children getting it? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1281(1), 123–140.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12030
Weiss, R., Bremer, A. A., & Lustig, R. H. (2013c). What is metabolic syndrome, and why are
children getting it? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1281(1), 123–140.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12030
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
Weiss, R., Bremer, A. A., & Lustig, R. H. (2013d). What is metabolic syndrome, and why are
children getting it? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1281(1), 123–140.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12030
8
SLEEP DEPRIVATION'S PHYSICAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
9