Sleep quality and perceived effects among college students

Sleep is among one of our basic needs. Unfortunately, sleep is one of the first needs neglected among college students. Inadequate and low quality sleep has been linked to physical and psychological problems, including obesity and chronic disease, depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorders, accidents due to dulled reaction time and inability to pay attention. The college years are known for being a time when sleep is not a high priority. Increased stress, heavy course loads, athletics, work and socializing all affect quality and quantity of sleep. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of impaired sleep among college students attending a small mid-south university and to determine the perceived effect sleep quality has on daily functioning and academic performance. Utilizing a modified version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 394 college students were surveyed regarding their sleep habits. Overall sleep quality was reported to be fairly bad or very bad among 24% of the total sample. Eighty percent believed that the amount of sleep they got affected their test scores, and 95% thought that their grades suffered because of sleep deprivation. Thirty-four percent, due to lack of sleep, had experienced difficulty driving, eating meals, or engaging in social activities in the past month, while 19% of the total sample had taken some type of medication to help them sleep. This presentation will cover the findings of this study and discuss recommendations to address sleep issues among college student populations.