Abstract
Sleep is the state of the mind involving temporary loss of consciousness leading to the resting of the mind. Sleep is very important in the sense that, the mind is made to rest enhancing less utilization of the body’s calories. In this respect, therefore sleep is very much related to the well-being of an individual, it must be well determined by the number of hours an individual sleeps in a day. Sleep being very crucial for health to prevail in an individual; it must be well managed so as to maintain healthy conditions in the body.
Based on the above statement, sleep must be well managed in students so as not to affect their academic performance, as well as their other co-curricular activities. The effective management of sleep means that one should not sleep too much or too little so as to attain maximum satisfaction from sleep. In this case, therefore, those individuals who get the right amount of sleep find themselves to have better health conditions, than those who usually have inappropriate amounts of sleep constantly. As the study has shown, sleep among individuals is of great importance as it determines the level of cognitive development.
Introduction
Sleep is one of the most important requirements in individuals so as to ensure the well-being of the body is maintained. A study among university students has revealed that the amount of sleep that individuals have daily usually affects their academic performance, as well as the other co-curricula activities. It has been revealed that either too much or too little sleep leads to loss of concentration capacity as an individual’s mind gets too exhausted to focus on activities attentively. The right amount of sleep gives individuals enough energy which will thereafter enable them to engage in various productive activities.
More so it has been revealed that the amount of sleep an individual will have actually affects their emotional reactions. Those individuals, who usually receive the right amount of sleep usually, find themselves in good moods and not being too emotional (http:www.salp, org/monitor/ock.vandawaal.aspxn).
‘The dimensions of going to sleep’ usually play an important role in determining the well-being of the individual, which sleep must be effectively met depending on various factors that affect each other. Under normal circumstances an individual is required to sleep comfortably without any sleep interruptions; if the person has no prior diagnosed sleeping disorders (Lehrer Woolfolk, 1993).
Factors affecting sleep
Among many university students, it has been revealed that various factors have been found to affect their sleeping habits interrupting their level of academic performance. Various factors that have been found to affect many students’ levels of performance among university students are discussed below.
Stressful events in which the students have undergone may prevent them from falling asleep fast affecting the amount of sleep they get, which in the long run has been found to affect the students’ level of performance. Causes of most university stress include social factors and financial strains, leading to inefficient sleep from day to day (Smith et al., 1989).
Both psychological and muscular strains have also been found to determine the amount of sleep that the students in the university acquire daily. Those students who engage themselves in very strenuous activities both for the mind and the somatic muscles, end up falling short of sleep from day to day which in the long run affects their academic performance (Smith et al., 1989).
Lastly, deposition is also another factor that has led to high levels of lack of sleep among university students. This means that those individuals who are very emotional end up falling asleep with difficulties. It was revealed that most of the university students who are very emotional find it difficult to concentrate in academics, which affects their academic performance (Lehrer Woolfolk, 1993).
The relationship between sleep, age and cognitive development
It has been found out that there is a very high relationship between body health conditions and cognitive development. In this respect, therefore, the study has revealed that; mid youths aging between seventeen and twenty-five years usually experience the longest sleep durations. The group of students that was reported to experience the shortest sleeping hours aged between thirty-five years to fifty years. This is further influenced by the age and the gender of the individual (Smith et al., 1989).
To a greater extent; the younger students seemed to feel more satisfied in life than the older people, which indicated that the younger individuals that slept for longer hours experienced a higher level of satisfaction than the older people. This implied that there exists a very strong co-relationship between sleep and life satisfaction. As it came out to be realized, this group of individuals concentrates much capitalism and strain their bodies and minds too much in struggling on how to manage their families. It was also reported that the elderly students experienced moderate amounts of sleep, as they were not involved in any strenuous activities making them sleep sufficiently (Smith et al., 1989).
On the basis of the above findings, it was revealed that the youths aging between seventeen and twenty-five years usually have a higher; level of cognitive development because of their having enough sleep hours. As the graph below shows, younger students seem to have better academic performance than older students.
Table showing the relationship between gender, sleeping hours and academic performance.
Relationship between sleep, gender and cognitive development
Both males and females were reported to have almost similar hours; only that women were reported to experience more problems in falling asleep but their length of sleep was more extended. On the gender basis, the males who were experiencing longer sleep hours were seemingly feeling well satisfied in life, as opposed to their female counterparts (Smith et al., 1989).
These findings implied that life satisfaction was positively related to the number of hours an individual sleeps per day which thereafter affects the level of life satisfaction among individuals. This is illustrated in the table below where females seem to have lower academic performance than males (Smith et al., 1989).
Tables showing the relationship between age, sleeping hours and academic performance.
As the results of the study shown above depict, it was clearly revealed that there exists a very strong relationship between gender, age and cognitive development among the students in the university. It was also reported that those students who boarded within the university’s residential houses, had more problems in falling asleep than those who came from their homes on a daily basis (Smith et al., 1989).
More so, it was revealed that most students slept longer hours during week-ends than during week-days. As it was found out, this trend of sleeping among the students was influenced by the fact that during week-end days, most students had no classes and felt tired from the whole week’s activities (Smith et al., 1989).
Limitations of the study
In the process of carrying out the study, various challenges were encountered which limited the ability to carry out the study effectively. Most students also were not cooperative to enhance the obtaining of the information required. This brought a lot of a hard time convincing many of the students to give out the information required (Fortunato & LeBourgeois, 2008).
The study was also adversely affected by the shortage of financial resources, which was encountered during the time the study was being carried out. This shortage of finance limited the production of many questionnaires to enhance the study to cover more students (Fortunato & LeBourgeois, 2008).
Recommendations
From the report, it can be clearly seen that most students have problems in falling asleep normally; and also that they usually have few sleeping hours. This has to an extent affected many students’ level of performance and satisfaction which in broader terms has affected the cognitive level of the students. It can thus be recommended that:
Students should avoid stressful situations so as to get enough sleep time which in the long run help to improve their cognitive level. Students should adopt appropriate sleeping modes so as to ensure that they acquire enough sleep on a uniform basis (Smith et al., 1989).
It can also be recommended that students should learn at their early stages so that they can be able to have ample time for studies, enhancing their acquirement of enough sleeping hours.
Lastly, the students should try to keep a constant touch with their parents and their families so as to acquire the family’s comfort that will enhance better sleep for the students which in a way will help to increase the academic performance of the students (Fortunato & LeBourgeois, 2008).
Conclusion
As the report has shown, sleep is a very crucial requirement for the well-being of individuals and thus, everybody should pursue attaining the optimum levels of sleep that will enhance positive cognitive development.
Reference list
Carpenter, S. (2001). Sleep deprivation may be undermining teen health. [Electronic Version]. Monitor, 39(2), 42. Web.
Fortunato, J., LeBourgeois, K., & Harsh, J. (2008). Development of a five-dimensional measure of adult sleep quality: Educational and Psychological Measurement. London: Oxford Press.
Groeger, J., Zijlstra, F., & Dijk, D. (2004). Sleep quantity, sleep difficulties and their perceived consequences in a representative sample of some 2000 British adults. Journal of Sleep Research (Vol. 13). London: Harvard publishers.
Lehrer, M. & Woolfolk, L. (1993). Principles and Practice of Stress Management. New York: The Guilford Press.
Smith, S., Reilly, C., & Midkiff, K. (1989). Evaluation of three circadian rhythm questionnaires with suggestions for an improved measure of morningness. Journal of Applied Psychology. (Vol 5). New York: McShaw Publishers.