Introduction
1.0 Background of study
Sleep deprivation can be defined as, individuals that are not having enough amount of sleep. The amount of sleep needs by a person is different from one and another. However, the average of sleep that all college students need will be seven to eight hours of sleep for every single night in order to keep their body well relaxed and performs well (www.aasm.org,n.d).
Based on the sleep deprivation statistics, it is stated that most of the college students always complaining regarding their tiredness on the period of lecture, as they did not have a virtuous sleeping pattern. Hence, the sampling of sleep deprivation has been made by Brent Heard (2013), whom conducted an online survey as a platform for students to answer the questions with the total of 102 respondents. It was stated that 73 students out of 102 students agreed that they performed inadequately on exam and assignments due to the lack of sleep. The statistics also stated that, 86 percent of college students giving up on sleep is because they need to finish all their assignments according to the dateline given.
Cognitive performance is when every individual’s brain have the ability to develop knowledge that are required by the mental processes. Brain is the largest part of organ that control most of the body activities (Patrick Kampuis, 2014). Sleep is important for cognitive performance because by getting an adequate sleep, it will make the brain functions well.
Research stated that, when an individual’s lose sleep, it will be harder for them to focus and give a full attention during lecture. Apart from that, when having enough of sleep, the memories inside the brain are reactivated and the connections of the brain cells will be strengthen (www. sleepfoundation.org, n.d). Also, studies stated that individuals that are not having an adequate hours of sleep will become more forgetful (www. sleepfoundation.org, n.d).
Sleep is known as an important component to every individual in their living life. This is proven when an individual obtaining an enough sleep with the precise amount of it, they will carry out their physical and mental functions at ultimate development. This statements is supported by (www.mitpe.mit.edu,n.d) stated that, sleep plays an important role in memory which is cognitive that is identified as “declarative memory". This type of memory are important for college students, predominantly on recalling facts and figures (www.mitpe.mit.edu,n.d). Nevertheless, people nowadays takes sleep for granted and did not realize the importance of sleep. Therefore, people who did not have a proper sleep will be affected on performing their daily routines.
Academic performance is mainly defined as how is the students’ performance towards their grades. The academic performance could be affected if the student’s did not have an essential sleeping hours that leads them to get sleep deprived. Many studies shown that sleep deprivation will leads to a bad academic performance as it will lower the cognitive skills of the students.
According to the research by Yemane and Alemayehu (2013), the both of researchers made a studies regarding accessing the sleep quality with academic performance among University students in Ethiopia. They found out that students with better sleep quality achieved better CGPA and score well on their academic performance compared to those students that did not get an enough sleep.
A good sleep will shape an individual with a strong cognitive and academic performance, as they have an adequate rest throughout their busy schedule and routine. Sleep will keep the person energized after a long day of staying awake. Hence, individuals may have a different patterns of sleeping schedule as they are affected in a different ways, particularly to all of the college students.
There is no other ways to disbelief that students are the busiest individuals as their schedule will cover a full of activities and tasks to be assigned by a coursework with the dateline given by their lecturers. Sleeping will be the last thing to do as they are busy with their schedule and the amount of workloads that they have. Sleep is extremely important to every individuals as if individuals did not have enough sleep, it will be harmful and they will be a sleep deprived. According to Jodie T. (2015) stated that, most of the mental health problems are linked to the sleep deprivation as individual’s will be attacked by a depression, anxiety and other mental problems.
1.1 Problem Statement
When the class starts at early in the morning at eight a.m., each of the students might complains that they are sleepy and tired to stay awake in the class even when the lecture begins. Some students are busy late night with their assignments, or they are working to earn some cash and even they are busy to spend their teenage life by hanging out with their friends until late nights. This statements is supported, that students are busy with their assignments. Chelsea G. (2014), interviewed one of the architecture student. The student named Kula said that the projects that are assigned by the professors to them are very time consuming and they even need to submit it on the same day and that is the main reason why they are sleep deprived (Chelsea G., 2014).
Most of the students have set in their mind that they need to enjoy their life while they are young and free, therefore they did not give a full attention towards their sleeping routines as they think that going to bed early will made them such a mundane person. However, research stated that sleeping is the most important thing towards an individual, and having a lack of sleep or known as sleep deprived will made a person have a negative effects towards their academic and cognitive skills (Tracie W., 2017).
Sleep is important as it will helps every students and individuals to keep energize on their mental and physical routine as getting enough sleep will helps a person to function well throughout the day. This is proven by the www.nih.com(n.d) which is the National heart, lung and blood institute websites, stated that when an individual getting an enough sleep quality will help to protect the mental health and physical health with the quality of life and a good safety.
Students need to have their own schedule and know how to adjust their time to limit themselves from going out enjoying until late nights and ignore the sleep. Therefore, they need to have a good time for themselves to settle up their tasks or assignments on weekdays and weekends or when they have a leisure time. When they have limitations by following their daily routine schedules, they will be able to require an adequate amounts of sleep. Schedules are important for students to keep organized, as habits such as procrastination are difficult to change and could lead students to do their assignments at the last minutes until late night. Also, when students follow the schedules, it will eventually keep them on track (Niclas Marie, n.d).
1.2 Research Question and Objectives
RQ 1: Will sleep deprivation affect on students cognitive performance?
RQ 2: Will sleep deprivation affect on students academic performance?
RQ 3: What are the interaction effects of sleep deprivation on student’s cognitive and academic performance?
1.3 Research Objectives
RO 1: To study the effects of sleep deprivation on student’s cognitive performance.
RO 2: To study the effects of sleep deprivation on student’s academic performance.
RO 3: To study the interaction effects of sleep deprivation on student’s cognitive and academic performance.
1.4 Research Significance
1.4.1 Significances to the Theories
Restoration Theory
This “Restoration Theory” was developed by Oswald in 1996. Based on the theory, it stated that sleeping is important for every human beings. Sleep has its own function towards an individual’s body. Sleep will restore the body during the period of inactivity. With that, human will have a guaranteed biological functioning when they have enough of deep sleep. Oswald (1996) also stated that, when humans are sleeping, the tissues of the brain and body are repaired and the chemicals that are needed for proper functioning are replenished.
The restoration theory has two major mechanisms which are NREM and REM. As for NREM, it stands for Non-Rapid eye movement which it has a three stages of an individual’s when falling asleep and according to Oswald (1996) stated in the theories, NREM sleep will helps an individual’s, to restores the biological processes that have decreased during the day. Apart from that, the REM sleep will replaces and renews the brain processes throughout the brain protein synthesis.
This is supported by the statement of Cari Nierenberg (2017) concluded that the three stages of sleep for Non-Rapid eye movement is a step by step stages of an individual’s falling asleep. As for first stage, the person will be at the napping stages and a person can be easily conscious and this sleeping stage will lasts up for five to ten minutes.
Next, the second stage is when the person eye movement’s stops, followed by the brain waves and heart rates become slower, also the muscles will relaxed. At this second stage, the sleep will last up for ten to twenty five minutes. For the third stage, this is when the person will have a deep sleep and this will lasts for twenty to forty minutes.
In addition, for the REM sleep, it will occurs right after the ninety minutes of sleeping and an individuals will go through all of the three stages of the NREM sleep. This stage of sleep is when a person will make a rapid movements of their eye underneath the closed eyelids. Also, at this stage, a person will starts dreaming and intense imagery happens (Cari Nierenberg, 2017). This research will explains on the sleeping stages as mentioned by the Oswald (1996).
1.4.2 Significance to the knowledge
In essence, this research helps us to understand the important of sleep towards an individual life. Through this research, we are able to understand better how the sleep deprivation will effects a person on the cognitive and physical performance. In addition, when people are aware towards the importance element on this research, it might give an impacts to change their sleeping patterns and living in a healthy sleeping schedule.
This research also specifically for the KUPTM college students to understand more regarding the harmfulness effects of sleep deprivation on their cognitive and physical performance on daily life. Apart from that, this research will also prove of the significance regarding the finest hours of sleep required for an individual to perform on the next day. Therefore, this study will also give a knowledge towards the educational industry such as teachers and lecturers, they will understand further regarding the important elements that the students need in order to perform in both cognitive and physical performance. On top of that, this exploration will be significance towards the parenting method of parents on their children. When parents are aware that sleep deprivation is harmful for their children, they will encourage them to have an essential sleeping hours.
1.5 Scope of Study
The overall focus of this research was on understanding towards the effects of sleep deprivation on the college students. Precisely, the scope of this research will covers two major components which are on the cognitive and academic performances. The target respondents of this research will be the students in higher education level precisely from Kolej Universiti Polytech Mara Kuala Lumpur in both gender female and male.
Hence, the age of respondents was being limited to 18-25 years old only to study the sleep deprivation that affected among the students. This research will studied based on the main theory by Oswald (1996) which is restoration theory. This is meant that all of the study will be referred to the “restoration theory” and the sampling or other theory that are found, will be also included as to support each of the statements.