The Correlation Between Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance

In a study conducted by Gilbert and Weaver, the correlation between sleep deprivation, sleep quality and academic performance was examined (Gilbert and Weaver, 2010). The degree of knowledge regarding this particular subject has not been well studied because of the small sample sizes used. As a result, the study investigates the link between the sleep habits of college students and academic performance in larger samples.

The researchers hypothesized that the participants who had a higher level of sleep deprivation would have lower academic performance, measured in GPA, than those who practice adequate sleep habits. The survey acquired the “age, gender, GPA, and the number of courses on their transcript that shows dropped, withdrawn, or incomplete” (Gilbert and Weaver, 2010). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was utilized and contained a “19 item self-report survey designed to measure sleep quality over the past month” (Gilbert and Weaver, 2010). PSQI involves a subscale scoring system that measures “subjective qualities such as latency, duration, habitual sleep efficiency, disturbance, medication use, and daytime dysfunction as they relate to sleep” (Gilbert and Weaver, 2010). The latter part was added to determine the global sleep quality score (GSQ). The scores for this measuring survey range from 0 to 21, and the higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality and habits (Gilbert and Weaver, 2010).

The study involved 468 undergraduate students, 167 males and 301 females, with a major in psychology. The survey was administered and performed during the regularly scheduled psychology class and subjects were given extra credit for participating and completing the survey. The mean age of the sample of students w...

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...eralizability (Business Dictionary). In addition, this study is limited by relying on self-report from students. Self-report is defined as a report about one’s behavior provided especially by one who is a subject of research (Merriam-Webster). By relying on self-report, we are trusting that the students answer each of the survey questions with honesty and accuracy. If students would answer questions falsely it would affect our results negatively and inaccurately.

According to our research, we expect a correlation between sleep deprivation and academic performance. As a result, we would like to run a campaign on proper sleep habits for undergraduate and graduate students. It is important to educate and improve the sleeping habits of students since sleep is significant for high levels of cognitive functioning to perform well in academics (Gilbert and Weaver, 2010).