October 28, 2012
Gaultney, J. (2010). The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: impact on academic performance. Journal Of American College Health, 59(2), 91-97. doi:10.1080/07448481.2010.483708
This article is about college students experiencing a number of sleep problems, which may impact academic performance, health, and mood. A common sleep problem among college students is sleep deprivation and resulting excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS. Both biological and social factors contribute to deprivation. Many college students and older adolescents are still dealing with adolescent physiology such as a biologically driven delayed sleep phase. In addition, sleep may be voluntarily sacriﬁced due to social factors or involuntarily situations because of living in a noisy residence hall or apartment. The International Classiﬁcation of Sleep Disorders categorizes sleep disorders in to three types, dyssomnias, which may produce EDS, parasomnias, which is usually not associated with EDS, and medical or psychological disorders. The purpose of the present study is to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders among college students, to examine whether race or gender is associated with different patterns of sleep disorders, and to determine whether students at risk for sleep disorders are also at risk for poor academic performance.
Jensen, D. R. (2003). Understanding Sleep Disorders in a College Student Population. Journal Of College Counseling, 6(1), 25. College students’ sleep habits are changing dramatically, and related sleep problems are increasing. The author reviews the current literature on sleeping problems, focusing on the college student population. An explanation of the basics of sleep is provided as a base for understanding sleep disorders. The unique challenges of college settings are discussed as they apply to understanding sleep problem, and suggestions are made...