Title: The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mood in College Students
Author: Student Name
School/Institutional Affiliation: School Name
Introduction
Sleep is an essential part of overall health and well-being. The National Sleep Foundation (2020) recommends that young adults aged 18-25 get 7-9 hours of sleep per night to promote optimal health. Many college students do not obtain sufficient sleep and experience higher than normal levels of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation has been associated with adverse effects such as impaired cognition, decreased academic performance, and mood disturbances (Hershner & Chervin, 2014; Minkel et al., 2012). Poor sleep quality and reduced duration of sleep is common among college students due to factors like adjusting to a new environment, late-night studying and social activities, and irregular sleep schedules (Lund et al., 2010; Regestein et al., 2010). Given that depression and anxiety are also highly prevalent mental health issues affecting college students (American College Health Association, 2019), it is important to explore the connection between sleep and mood.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of sleep deprivation on mood in a sample of undergraduate college students. It was hypothesized that participants experiencing higher levels of sleep deprivation would report more negative mood including higher levels of depression, stress, and anxiety compared to those with lower levels of sleep deprivation. A survey research design was used to measure self-reported sleep duration, sleep quality, and various dimensions of mood. This study aimed to provide additional evidence regarding the relationship between sleep and mental health in college students in order to inform prevention and intervention efforts.
Method
Participants
A total of 120 undergraduate students (80 females, 40 males) between the ages of 18-22 years (M = 19.57, SD = 1.23) were recruited from a large public university to participate in an anonymous online survey regarding sleep habits and well-being. Participation was voluntary and participants did not receive compensation. The study was approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board and all participants provided online informed consent.
Measures
Sleep deprivation. Two items were used to measure level of self-reported sleep deprivation. Participants were asked to rate on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = never, 5 = always) how often over the past month they felt tired upon waking in the morning and how often they felt sleepy during the day. Responses were averaged to calculate an overall sleep deprivation score, with higher scores indicating greater sleep deprivation (α = .78).
Mood. Three well-validated self-report scales were used to measure components of mood:
The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) is a 20-item measure of depressive symptoms experienced during the past week. Items are rated on a 4-point scale from 0 (rarely or none of the time) to 3 (most or all of the time) and summed to create a total score. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms (α = .89).
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen et al., 1983) is a 10-item measure of perceived stress over the past month rated on a 5-point scale from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Items are summed to create a total perceived stress score, with higher scores reflecting higher perceived stress levels (α = .86).
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – Trait subscale (STAI-T; Spielberger et al., 1983) contains 20 statements about feelings of nervousness, tension, and worry. Items are scored on a 4-point scale from 1 (almost never) to 4 (almost always). Scores are summed to create a total trait anxiety score, with elevated scores indicating more severe trait anxiety (α = .91).
Procedure
After obtaining informed consent, participants completed an anonymous online survey through Qualtrics which took approximately 15-20 minutes. The survey contained the sleep deprivation measure, followed by the depression, stress, and anxiety scales. Demographic questions were asked at the end. Upon completion, participants received a debriefing form thanking them for their participation. Survey data were coded and entered into SPSS for analysis.
Results
Descriptive statistics for all study variables are presented in Table 1. Overall, participants reported moderate levels of sleep deprivation (M = 2.90, SD = 0.99) based on a 5-point scale. Mood scores reflected normal/mild levels of depression (M = 15.37, SD = 9.22), stress (M = 22.32, SD = 7.15), and anxiety (M = 39.87, SD = 10.74) based on established cut-off scores for these measures.
To test the hypothesis that higher sleep deprivation would predict worse mood, Pearson correlations were conducted between sleep deprivation and each mood variable (see Table 2). Sleep deprivation was significantly positively correlated with depression, r(118) = .35, p < .001, perceived stress, r(118) = .26, p = .004, and trait anxiety, r(118) = .32, p < .001. Higher sleep deprivation was associated with more severe symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety. Linear regression analyses were then performed to test whether sleep deprivation levels predicted unique variance in each mood outcome after controlling for gender differences (see Table 3). Sleep deprivation significantly predicted depression, F(2, 117) = 11.90, p < .001, R2 = .17, stress, F(2, 117) = 7.20, p = .001, R2 = .11, and anxiety, F(2, 117) = 10.77, p < .001, R2 = .16, above and beyond the effects of gender. Specifically, sleep deprivation accounted for an additional 14.5% of unique variance in depression, 8.2% in perceived stress, and 12% in trait anxiety. Discussion The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sleep deprivation on mood in college students. Results supported the hypothesis, finding that participants reporting higher levels of sleep deprivation had significantly worse mood characterized by higher depressive symptoms, perceived stress levels, and trait anxiety. Sleep deprivation remained a significant predictor of mood even when accounting for potential gender differences.
These findings are consistent with prior research demonstrating associations between poor sleep quality/quantity and negative mental health outcomes among college students (Hershner & Chervin, 2014; Lund et al., 2010). Sleep problems appear to be highly prevalent in this population due to adjustment factors and irregular sleep habits common during the college years. Experiencing insufficient or unrefreshing sleep on a regular basis may accumulate stress over time, leading to impaired mood regulation and increased vulnerability to depression and anxiety (Minkel et al., 2012). Several limitations should be noted. The cross-sectional survey design precludes conclusions about causality or direction of effects between sleep and mood. Subjective self-report measures may be prone to underestimation or overestimation bias. Small sample size drawn from a single university limits generalizability. Future research using longitudinal and objective sleep assessment methods (e.g., actigraphy, polysomnography) could provide stronger evidence for a causal link. Examining specific mediators such as coping strategies, social support, and health behaviors may help explain how sleep impacts mental health. Results add to mounting evidence that sleep deprivation adversely affects mood and well-being in college students. Improving sleep could be an important non-pharmacological strategy for preventing negative mental health outcomes, especially for at-risk individuals. Outreach programs should educate students on sleep hygiene practices and assist with time management skills to promote healthy sleep-wake patterns conducive to academic achievement and emotional functioning. Addressing underlying sleep issues may optimize mental health for college students nationwide.
Andrew Stroud