Introduction
Sleep quality and quantity are essential to every individual, especially university students trying to earn their degrees and professionally establish themselves. It is recommended that adults get 6 to 8 hours of sleep to promote their physical, mental, and psychological wellbeing. For the student-age population, the reality is that many are overworked; some KFUPM students are either too stressed or too busy to get the proper amount of sleep. Some work part-time jobs, others take packed course loads and still try to find time to be social. Furthermore, some of the KFUPM students cram before tests and pull an āall-nighterā, in which they stay awake until the early hours of the morning. As a result, this paper aims to explore the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation among KFUPM students and techniques for how they can manage time and stress to get adequate sleep.
Problems of Lack of Sleep at Kfupm
Cognitive Impact
The eļ¬ect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance has also been documented previously with a correlation between sleep quality and grade point average in ļ¬rst year university students [10]. Moreover, sleep deprivation has been shown to have a detrimental eļ¬ect on certain aspects of working memory, such as ļ¬ltering eļ¬ciency, whilst Stroop test scores show degradation; however, this has been evidenced to be due to deļ¬cits in reaction time rather than processing skills [5, 11ā17]. Taken together, these data suggest that sleep deprivation may have a limited eļ¬ect on cognitive ability in university students. The eļ¬ect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance has also been documented previously with a correlation between sleep quality and grade point average in ļ¬rst year university students [10]. Moreover, sleep deprivation has been shown to have a detrimental eļ¬ect on certain aspects of working memory, such as ļ¬ltering eļ¬ciency, whilst Stroop test scores show degradation; however, this has been evidenced to be due to deļ¬cits in reaction time rather than processing skills [5, 11ā17]. Taken together, these data suggest that sleep deprivation may have a limited eļ¬ect on cognitive ability in university students. The effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance has also been documented previously with a correlation between sleep quality and grade point average in ļ¬rst year university students [10].
Moreover, sleep deprivation has been shown to have a detrimental eļ¬ect on certain aspects of working memory, such as ļ¬ltering eļ¬ciency, whilst Stroop test scores show degradation; however, this has been evidenced to be due to deļ¬cits in reaction time rather than processing skills [5, 11ā17]. Taken together, these data suggest that sleep deprivation may have a limited eļ¬ect on cognitive ability in university students. Working memory and executive function both heavily rely on the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and salience network. This network has been shown reduced activation post-acute sleep deprivation Cognitive functions are described as cerebral activities that result in knowledge acquisition, and they constitute memory, reasoning, language, and attention. Studies have shown a negative correlation between insufficient or poor quality sleep and cognitive functioning (Pilcher & Walters, 2010). Executive function and working memory are both significantly dependent on the neocortex. During sleep, pathways form between neurons in the brain; hence, it organizes and stores information acquired that day, consequently making it easier to remember. Therefore, this suggests that if KFUPM students study and get sufficient sleep, the brainās organizational and filtering efficiency enables them to retain knowledge more effectively.
Emotional Impact
University life is emotionally and intellectually demanding. Insufficient sleep is observed to not only affect the cognitive aspects but also the emotional sphere as it heightens the probability of severe levels of emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Consequentially, these disorders might trigger a series of chain reactions that ultimately deter the academic performance of KFUPM students. Bright (2010) mentioned a set of sleep symptoms that KFUPM students might present if they suffer from specific mental disorders. For instance, depression is characterized by insomnia (sleeping for a maximum of 6 hours), too much sleep (exceeding 10 hours), and chronic fatigue (always needing sleep). Furthermore, stress or anxiety has been associated with having racing, repetitive or stressful thoughts that prevent sleep. Overall, sleep deprivation will reduce the filtering and storage efficiency of the brain, leading to lower grades, missing project deadlines, or having to withdraw from the class due to poor performance.
Solutions and Their Consequences
Good Time Management
For many KFUPM students, countering sleep deprivation is based on the commitment to improved sleep hygiene. They need to take sleep seriously and make a few adjustments to their nightly routine to establish proper sleeping schedules. Returning to adequate sleep is also a useful preventive tool for depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Some of the techniques that KFUPM students might employ include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day to put their bodies on a schedule, thus, maintaining the circadian rhythm. Due to getting sufficient sleep, the brain will organize, sort and store, whatever knowledge that the students gained during the day, hence, improving their memory recall and reasoning, amongst other cognitive functions. In students, these cognitive effects manifest in the form of their grade point averages (GPA). For instance, in Chiang and Arendt (2017), participants with higher sleep quantity and quality had a GPA that was 0.28 to 0.52 points higher than their counterparts.
Being Active
Recent research has reported that increasing physical activity is necessary for college studentsā overall health and education. El Ansari & Stock (2010) demonstrated that reducing sleep and adopting sedentary lifestyles might favor the odds of developing anxiety and depression on students, therefore, deterring their academic performance. Thus, to prevent such kinds of effects, KFUPM students should exercise regularly to help the body relax and improve brain functioning. Often it is recommended that exercise and sleep go hand in hand. Physical activity has been noted to affect all aspects of wellbeing, including physical and mental spheres. This is because it promotes brain development and improves concentration, which is essential to keeping KFUPM students focussed and engaged throughout their lectures and examinations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper has explained the adverse consequences of sleep deprivation on KFUPM studentsā health, encompassing the physical and mental aspects. Regarding its impact on cognitive functioning, insufficient sleep has been illustrated to reduce the brainās capability to organize and store knowledge, thus adversely impacting memorization and recall. It has also been positively correlated with mental health disorders that interfere with academic performance. Therefore, it is recommended that KFUPM students embrace good time management practices and participate in physical activities to improve and maintain high GPAs.
References
Bright, J (2010). Sleep and physical health issues. University of Georgia, Web.
Chiang, Y. C., & Arendt, S. W. (2017). Benefits of sleep for undergraduate studentsā academic performance. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, 29(2), 61-70. Web.
El Ansari, W., & Stock, C. (2010). Is the health and wellbeing of university students associated with their academic performance? Cross sectional findings from the United Kingdom. International journal of environmental research and public health, 7(2), 509ā527. Web.
Pilcher, J. J., & Walters, A. S. (2010). How sleep deprivation affects psychological variables related to college students’ cognitive performance. Journal of American College Health, 46(3), 121-126. Web.