Sleep Challenges in College Students During Finals Week

• In Event: Strategies and Interventions for College Student Success

Abstract

Sleep deprivation is ingrained into college culture. Across two classroom studies (N=132), we investigated whether extra credit incentives to extend one’s time-in-bed encouraged longer sleep durations during finals week, which students benefited the most, and if increasing sleep impacted exam performance. Large-sized extra credit encouraged an 84 minute/night improvement in objectively-measured sleep whereas medium-sized extra credit encouraged a 47 minute/night increase (interaction: p=.005). Improvements in sleep were independent of demographics, baseline sleep problems, and baseline academic load and the more students improved their sleep habits, the better they performed on the final exam (ps<.05). Importantly, students continued their better sleep habits the following semester (p=.003). Thus, poor sleep in students is correctable, and improving sleep may contribute to academic success.

Author

• Michael Scullin, Baylor University