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- WRC 1013/1023: Freshman Composition: Exploring Critical Issues
WRC 1013/1023: Freshman Composition: Exploring Critical Issues
Introduction: Sleep
We all know that we need sleep. However, the ability to get adequate sleep on a regular basis is difficult, and the effects of sleep deprivation can extend much longer than we realize. In this section, a variety of source types are presented (research studies, internet articles, a blog post, a newspaper article) in order to present a wide range of writing styles and approaches to addressing the issue of sleep.
"Sleep and Quantitative Literacy" shows how survey data is used in research on sleep. Most articles in the "Sleep and Academic Success" box relate specifically to college students. The section on "Sleep and Technology" contains two sources that specifically explore the effects of smartphone use on sleep and/or mental health.
Sleep and Quantitative Literacy
How do different types of sources address research on sleep? What are the limitations of studies on sleep?
Sleep and Quantitative Literacy
Recent research research suggests a correlation between sleep and college students' academic success. This section contains a group of resources that demonstrate how data is gathered, analyzed, and used. Jane Brody's article "An Underappreciated Key to Academic Success: Sleep," quotes extensively from an interview with sleep expert J. Roxanne Prichard. Brody also uses data from Prichard's research (Hartmann and Prichard) in her article. Hartmann and Prichard used two sets of data from the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment to form the basis of their research.
Does Brody fairly and accurately summarize and utilize Hartmann and Prichard's data? What limitations do Hartmann and Prichard identify with the survey data? Hartmann and Prichard largely relied on the 2009 survey. How does the age of this data affect your interpretation of Brody's news article? How might the data have changed?
- Brody, Jane. "An Underappreciated Guide to College Success: Sleep"
New York Times columnist Jane Brody uses research studies to discuss the importance of sleep for college students. - Hartmann, Monica E. and J. Roxanne Prichard. "Calculating the Contribution of Sleep Problems to Undergraduates' Academic Succes"
"The objective of this study is to determine to what degree sleep disturbances predict academic success, relative to other known risk factors for decreased academic performance." - American College Health Association NCHA II, Spring 2009
This national survey of college students from Spring 2009 is used by Hartmann and Prichard to draw associations between sleep and academic performance. - American College Health Association NCHA IIc, Spring 2017This survey from Spring 2017 is used briefly by Hartmann and Prichard to examine the type of information undergraduates want to receive vs. what universities actually provide.
Sleep and Academic Success
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Poor Sleep Can Negatively Affect a Student's Grades, Increase the Odds of Emotional and Behavioral Disturbance."
"Insufficient sleep among adolescents may not only contribute to lower grades and a lack of motivation, but may also increase the odds of serious levels of emotional and behavioral disturbances, including ADHD" - Brody, Jane. "An Underappreciated Guide to College Success: Sleep"New York Times columnist Jane Brody uses research studies to discuss the importance of sleep for college students.
- Cerminara, Zak. "Losing Sleep Over Poor Performance."
This blog post presents information regarding sleep and college students, supported by academic research. - Doane, Leah, et al. "Multi-method Assessments of Sleep over the Transition to College and the Associations with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms"
"A growing body of research has demonstrated links between sleep problems and symptoms of depression and anxiety in community and clinical samples of adolescents and young adults. . . . Using multiple methods of assessment. . . the current study assessed whether sleep quantity, quality or variability changed over the transition to college and investigated the potential cross-lagged relationships between adolescents’ sleep and symptoms of anxiety and depression." - Hartmann, Monica E. and J. Roxanne Prichard. "Calculating the Contribution of Sleep Problems to Undergraduates' Academic Succes""The objective of this study is to determine to what degree sleep disturbances predict academic success, relative to other known risk factors for decreased academic performance."
- Johnson, Jon. "How to Tell if Stress is Affecting Your Sleep."
This internet sources gives an overview of issues related to sleep and health, both mental and physical. - Theobald, Mikel. "What Happens When You Don't Sleep for Days."
This internet article discusses the effects of lack of sleep. "While the occasional lack of sleep may not seem like a big deal, the impact of sleep deprivation can be intense and its effects can linger." - Woodard, Melissa, et al. "Sleep and College Satisfaction"
"College students face a number of obstacles to achieving proper sleep hygiene and this could have an impact on their overall college experience, as much as on their day-to-day functioning. The current study was designed to assess the relationship between sleep and satisfaction with overall college experience." - Yoon, Sun Young Rosalia, et al. "Sleep in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adults: Past, Present, and Future."
"In this review, we present a comprehensive and critical account of the research that has been carried out to investigate the association between sleep and ADHD, as well as discuss mechanisms that have been proposed to account for the elusive relationship between sleep disturbances, sleep disorders, and ADHD." - Zochil, Marina and Einar B. Thorsteinsson. "Exploring Poor Sleep, Mental Health, and Help‐seeking Intention in University Students.”
"University students experience common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress along with poor‐sleep quality. This study explores the relationships between these concepts and help‐seeking intention in a general Australian university student population."
When Likes Aren't Enough by ISBN: 9781538743416Publication Date: 2018-03-13Chapter 4, "Sweet Dreams", focuses on the role of sleep plays in happiness and college success. Professor of Positive Psychology Tim Bono uses research to explore the science of happiness in the lives of young adults.
Sleep and Technology
- Lemola, Sakari, et al. "Adolescents' Electronic Media Use at Night, Sleep Disturbance, and Depressive Symptoms in the Smartphone Age"
"To better understand the interplay between sleep, depressive symptoms, and electronic media use at night, this study examined changes in adolescents' electronic media use at night and sleep associated with smartphone ownership. Also examined was whether sleep disturbance mediated the relationship between electronic media use at night and depressive symptoms." - Thomée, Sara, et al. "Mobile Phone Use and Stress, Sleep Disturbances, and Symptoms of Depression Among Young Adults."
"The overall aim of this study was to investigate whether there are associations between psychosocial aspects of mobile phone use and mental health symptoms in a prospective cohort of young adults."
