Importance of Circadian Clocks:

How the Circadian Clock affects a student's sleep schedule

Manpreet K. Takhar

University of California, Merced

Keywords: Circadian Clock, Sleep Deprivation, College Student(s), GPA

Abstract

This report provides an overview of the effects of sleep deprivation on college students. The purpose is to gain new information, which would inform the students at the University of California, Merced about the importance of routinely obtaining the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep.

Introduction

While sleep is central to sustaining life Ultimately, since sleep is so essential to the and normal human function, not every human body, scientists recommend individual can adhere to a consistent sleep approximately eight hours of sleep a night to schedule. Undergraduate students have promote efficient performance and thinking. commitments that exceed their physical Unfortunately, within this fast-paced society, capacities, leaving sleep to be neglected. few people receive the sleep that the body From the grueling demands of regularly needs, and ultimately sleep deprivation assigned homework coupled with major affects a significant portion of the projects assigned from a full schedule of population. Lack of adequate sleep not only classes, sleep and college life often seem reduces productivity at work, but personal mutually exclusive. All-night study sessions, well-being and safety. It is important in this stress, socializing and the freedom to choose respect to understand the effects of sleep when to sleep; all work together to disrupt deprivation on the body. sleep in college. By conducting further research, the Sleep is essential to the body and its University will then have a clearer assessment functions, and promotes bodily rest and of their student populations’ struggle with rejuvenation in the neurons and other cells sleep. The data collected from the that are replaced or repaired during times of questionnaire will allow the University to sleep. Sleep has also been proposed to interpret students’ sleep patterns. The conserve energy, and control the circadian University will be able to create programs that clock, which generates a 24-hour biochemical will help aid students with managing their rhythm. The circadian clock, a biochemical circadian clock and teach them about the electric device that cycles with solar time, is negative effects of sleep deprivation. It would the central mechanism that drives sleep be expected that a college student who obtains pathways. The clock is used to observe the between seven to eight hours of sleep each sleep schedule and academic schedule of night will achieve a higher score on the tests college students. When these sleep and wake administered than those who receive six or less, cycles exhibit an imbalance, it can lead to or nine or more hours of sleep per night. detrimental effects on students’ learning processes and memory consolidations. The imbalance is caused due to the college student receiving less than 8 hours of sleep.

Literature Review

Circadian Clock still dealing with adolescent physiology such as a biologically driven delayed The circadian clock is the central sleep phase. In addition, sleep may be mechanism that drives sleep pathways, and voluntarily sacrificed due to social are “found in most species and allow the factors or involuntarily situations organism to anticipate reoccurring daily because of living in a noisy residence variations in environmental conditions” hall or apartment (Gaultney J, 2010). (Bollinger A. & Thomas, 2010). The clock is Along with officially diagnosable used to generate a 24 hour biochemical sleep disorders, it has been observed through rhythm that has a profound influence on the empirical studies, such as Hershner and sleep and wake cycles that college students Chervin’s, that colleges and public schools experience during their academic years. It is that set students’ schedules are partially essential to understand why a student's clock responsible for students becoming afflicted is out of balance and this could only be with sleep deprivation. The article examines understood with a closer analysis of their the common occurrence of sleepiness and circadian clock. The student’s circadian sleep deprivation among college students. It clocks can be scrutinized via their sleep and also considers the contributing factors for their academic schedule. When these sleep sleep deprivation, and how lack of sleep can and wake cycles exhibit an imbalance, it can impact one’s learning and memory. With lead to detrimental effects on student’s class times being set early in the morning and learning processes and memory late in the evening as well as work-loads consolidations. being increased outside of the classroom, individuals’ circadian rhythms can become Causes of sleep deprivation unbalanced, causing them to have an inadequate sleep cycle (Hershner, & Chervin, Just like other problems that 2014). humanity faces, there is no single cause for sleep deprivation. If a person suffers Effects of sleep deprivation from a sleep disorder, it is very likely that the individual will become sleep The effects of poor sleep behaviors deprived, the issue is determining which are overwhelmingly negative. Research has disorder the person suffers from so that shown that inconsistent sleep patterns, lack help can be sought after to assist in of efficient sleep, late bed times, and other receiving enough sleep. This is a sleep schedule problems negatively affect common sleep problem among college the quality of life (Lund, H. & B. Redier, students with sleep deprivation in result 2010). In 2006, the National Sleep to daytime sleepiness or EDS. Both Foundation had proven that the majority of biological and social factors contribute to college students show negative deprivation. Many college students are

consequences from sleep deficiencies in cognitive capabilities. Sleep loss has been their academic performance, such as being shown to be inversely proportional to drowsy at school, falling asleep in class, and academic performance. An increasing not being prepared and alert for school. The amount of scientific data explains that sleep study found that 68% of students reported deprivation has detrimental effects on being so stressed that they had difficulty immune function. Conversely, immune falling asleep at night. Thus, more than 60% response feedback on sleep phase has a of the students with irregular sleep patterns detrimental effect on the student’s resort to drugs or alcohol to help them sleep architecture. Bollinger A. and Thomas had (Lund, H. & B. Redier). Students that found a few studies that addressed the reported themselves as poor-quality sleepers impact of short-term sleep deprivation on typically identified themselves as having different immune parameters due to significantly more problems with physical consequences of disrupted endocrine and and psychological health than those who did physiological circadian rhythms. Little is not identify as poor-quality sleepers (Lund, known about the mechanisms underlying the H. & B. Redier). It also turns out that these circadian regulation of immunity, but recent students claimed emotional and academic studies have suggested that local as well as stress were the main sources of their altered central circadian clocks drive the rhythms of sleeping habits. immune function (Bollinger A. & Thomas).

Effect on memory, problem solving, and Overcoming sleep deprivation critical thinking There are multiple ways in which An individual’s physical and mental individuals can work to overcome their sleep health and abilities have been shown to have deprivation and return to functioning at an direct correlation with sleep deprivation. appropriate efficiency. For example, The Research has shown that people who suffer Institute of Medicine Committee on Sleep from sleep deprivation are more likely to Medicine and Research concludes that have issues with their cognitive abilities, clinical activates and scientific opportunities such as memory and problem-solving skills in the field are expanding, awareness among when the individual also suffers from the public and healthcare professionals is hypertension, but the relationship does not low. However, given the finding the few end there. Professors and university officials people are aware of treatment opportunities should play an active role in educating for these disorders, they go widely untreated. college students on the effects of sleep A sleep evaluation is essential in finding and deprivation and provide support for treating sleep disorders, and thus decreasing improving sleep quality (Jensen, & Dallas the prevalence of related facts such as heart R., 2003). attack, stroke, and obesity (Colten, & By failing to obtain an adequate Harvery R. et al, 2006) amount of sleep each night, there is an increased possibility of there being one or more adverse effects on the individual’s

Proposal

The aim of this research project is to circadian rhythms, the observed effects of gather information on the behaviors and sleep deprivation will be different. opinions of college students concerning their It is expected to find that results will sleep patterns and the effects of those sleep show a correlation between the numbers of patterns on their academic performance. It is hours of sleep the subjects obtained the night crucial to be aware of one’s circadian rhythm, prior to experimentation and how well they since it can improve a person’s productivity performed on the questionnaire. Results and even their quality of life. A way to should show the individuals who receive perform this study is through the conducting fewer hours of sleep, and are therefore more of a questionnaire distributed to the sleep deprived, would have less success on University of California, Merced students. the tests than individuals who are well rested. These questionnaires will be given to the It is possible, however, due to individual students at the beginning of every school ability in certain aspects of the exam, that year, using a variety of questionnaires that are some subjects will do inherently better than formatted in multiple choice, likert scales, others which could skew the correlation. It is semantic differentials, and rankings. These also possible that the data could be skewed questionnaires will be assigned to students due to the other limitations, which may arise, with similar course loads to ensure that there whether be from the large confidence interval are no confounding outliers. The data will be or confounds that arise during administration analyzed by gender, major and age. The data of the assessment. This methodology will collected will allow the University to interpret provide insight to college students about the students’ sleep patterns, which enables them effects their sleep schedule may have on their to create programs that inform students about memory, problem solving, and crucial their sleep patterns. These programs will thinking skills; which would, as a result, provide students with insight on how to influence their grades. The collected data will manage their daily and academic schedule assist college students with the necessary based on their circadian clock. information for them to alter their daily The questionnaires can be used to schedule to ensure they routinely receive give the students the concise information enough sleep-in order to function at peak necessary to determine their circadian efficiency each day. rhythm. College students have a circadian rhythm that operates in 24 hours, students Benefits are in a need of a circadian clock that enables them to be less sleep deprived. It can The collected data will give the benefit the University and students because students the concise information needed to it compares first year students and seniors. determine their circadian rhythm, as well as This will enable the campus to come up with give the University comprehensive a better solution to cure sleep deprivation. information to develop programs. These Since individual students have different programs will help aid students with

managing their circadian clock and teach scales, semantic differentials, and rankings. them about the negative effects of sleep The questionnaires will address three deprivation. Research is being conducted on major key components: what time do you the causes and effects of sleep deprivation sleep, how much caffeine do you consume, among college students. This is done to and how many times do you nap a day. The educate the community of the true data collected will be obtained through the importance of getting enough sleep. completion of three assessments, being Questionnaires containing the college data completed by students with similar course about sleep deprivation will help the loads to ensure the data will not experience University clarify the causes of deprivation outliers. The goal of this assessment is to gain and how it affects the way we think and a better understanding of the correlation react. between an individual’s amount of sleep and The University of California, Merced their memory. Another key component of this will be able to implement programs such as assessment is to better understand the student workshops that assist students with time problem solving plus critical thinking skills. management, stress relief, and personal All participants partaking in this development. The workshops implemented by research experiment will remain anonymous the University will include the benefits of throughout the testing procedures and will creating supplementary courses for freshman not be required to state any personal on time management. The students will form information other than providing their age a better understanding and practice on time and gender for documentation. Each management to improve their sleeping individual will be monitored to ensure proper patterns, and participate in workshops that aid effort is being put forth during the in stress relief. Seniors will be required to completion of the assessment, which will aid participate in surveys that will be collected in the accrual of accurate results. (Figure 1). for data analysis to improve their approach on Results will be calculated based on tackling the causes of sleep deprivation. the ability to answer questions accurately and Based on the data received from the senior compare scores to the number of hours of class the surveys will help give an overview sleep in an attempt to determine a correlation of a student’s personal development. between sleep deprivation and their memory. By limiting the amount of time allotted for Methods and Approach individuals to complete the questionnaires forces them to feel rushed and causing them The questionnaires will assist the to make careless mistakes also they do put in University of California in forming concise the appropriate amount of effort. Another information about the cause and effect of error can occur when participants provide sleep deprivation among college freshman false information about themselves such as and seniors. The students at the university age, the number of hours they sleep per will be given questionnaires at the beginning night. The false information they provide of every school year. These questionnaires affect the results and play a huge role in will be formatted as multiple choice, Likert having accurate data.

Figure 1: The figure above is the questions that will be provided to the students to collect data on the causes and effects of sleep deprivation.

Conclusion

Without sleep humans are prone to an attempt to finish their work on time in having detrimental side effects that can cause order to receive a good grade. Past studies serious damage to the mind and body. have shown that students are setting Sleeping regularly helps the mind relax and themselves up for failure and are not grow while healing the body. When the mind achieving the highest grade possible. and body are able to function properly the Many researchers have taken the time student is able to perform efficiently in the to focus on the different aspects of the sleep questionnaire. As a person becomes more deprivation and how it can affect each person. sleep deprived, their attention span shortens Though this particular research project is and their working memory begins to lacking a few key aspects there is still a wide deteriorate. If a student does not get enough range of research on the subject, and even sleep they perform horribly which leads to a more will be conducted in the future to help decline in their skills and learning ability. the University of California, Merced to fully Majority of college students do not realize understand why sleep is so important and help the effects of sleep deprivation has on them. lead to a healthier future. Students receive minimal sleep, but with midterms and finals the pressure is higher which forces students to receive little to no sleep. This common behavioral pattern has turned into a tradition throughout the years. This tradition has shown an endless cycle of students sacrificing their sleep-in order to continue their work and studying in

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