Sleep, the Never-ending Quest of College Students

Sleep, Sleep Disturbance, Sleep Hygiene

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether undergraduate students completing a course focused entirely on sleep at a major urban university evidence positive changes in their sleep patterns compared to students completing a similar-level course (without any discussion of sleep) in the same department (Psychology) at the same university (UH). Potential changes in sleep patterns across the semester will be examined as well as whether putative changes in sleep can be linked with academic and mental health outcomes.

Aim 1) To evaluate whether a semester long course focused entirely on sleep produces improvements in college students' sleep patterns across the semester based on one-week sleep diaries. H1: Compared to students enrolled in other courses who are not expected to show significant changes in sleep patterns, students enrolled in the sleep course will demonstrate increases in total sleep time, decreases in sleep onset latency, and decreases in nighttime awakenings. In line with Mayer's theoretical model, these sleep-based changes will evidence non-linear (i.e., quadractic) patterns across four time points during the semester. Aim 2) To evaluate changes in sleep hygiene behaviors across the semester among students enrolled in a sleep course compared to students enrolled in other courses. H2: Compared to students enrolled in other courses who are not expected to show significant changes in sleep hygiene behaviors, students enrolled in the sleep course will report a decreased frequency of naps, use of electronics within one hour of bed, and an increase in sleep regularity (e.g., reduction in the discrepancy between weekend and weekday wake times) across the four time points during the semester. Aim 3) To evaluate how sleep patterns relate to daytime mood and energy levels across the semester among students enrolled in a sleep course and other courses. H3: Greater total sleep time, shorter sleep onset latency, fewer nighttime awakenings, a less discrepancy between weekend and weekday wake times will predict higher energy levels and mood among both groups across the semester. Aim 4) To evaluate how sleep patterns across the semester predict final course grades among students enrolled in a sleep course. H4: Students enrolled in the sleep course who demonstrate increases in total sleep time, decreases in sleep onset latency, and decreases in nighttime awakenings across the semester will achieve higher final course grades than students who demonstrate minimal to no improvements in sleep.

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