Academic Stress and Sleep Architecture

Introduction

The topic of University Students’ Perceived Academic Stress and Changes in sleep architecture is very intriguing within psychology and sleep research. University students are commonly under a great amount of stress because of various exams, assignments, deadlines and performances they need to meet. This academic stress then becomes academic stress and can seriously affect their sleep architecture. Sleep is not solely defined as the amount of sleep one gets; sleep is also defined by the way sleep occurs in the body.

What Is Perceived Academic Stress?

Perceived academic stress is what students feel and perceive in terms of academic demands. It’s not just about the workloads but the degree of stress that students feel when dealing with them.

Academic stresses arise from factors such as:

Huge coursework and deadlines

• Exam pressures

• A competitive environment

• Lack of good time management

• Matters to do with oneself and money

• Chronic stress affects both mental and physical functions negatively.

Sleep architecture can be defined as an organization which can be visualized throughout the night while asleep. As a sleep pattern in general it comprises of three main components:

 NREM sleep where light and deep sleep occurs

 REM sleep which occurs during dreaming and memory processing

 The combination ensures a refreshing experience of both brain and body. Unfortunately, a prolonged amount of stress will have a negative effect over this combination.

The effects of Academic Stress upon Sleep Architecture

There is a relationship to be found between academic stress and alteration in the pattern of sleep-in students at university level. The students get high amounts of Cortisol being secreted from stress thereby interfering with the process of sleep and hence:

 Trouble falling asleep

 Low amounts of deep sleep (slow-wave sleep)

 So waking at intervals during the night

 Poor quality of REM sleep

Cycle of Stress and Sleep

A serious issue to take into account is the reciprocal nature of stress and sleep. The stress that one experiences academically impacts their sleep pattern and vice versa.

Here is how the cycle of stress and sleep looks:

1.         Increased stress due to academic pressure

2.         Disturbance in the sleep pattern

3.         Lack of concentration and memory

4.         Failure leads to additional stress

Effects on Cognition and Emotions

Since poor sleep resulting from academic pressure can have many consequences, some include the following:

• Decreased attention

• Bad decision-making skills

• High anxiety levels

• Low motivation

• Since REM sleep helps process emotions, lower amounts of REM sleep can result in emotional disturbances.

The Management of Academic Stress and sleep quality

There are certain ways in which to enhance the perception of academic stress and the changes in sleep architecture in university students:

 Academic stress management through the application of mindfullness, relaxation and breathing techniques

 Sleep hygiene: Regular sleep pattern and avoid exposure of screens before sleeping

 Time management: Drawing up a well organized plan for studying and obtaining goals

 Physical activity: Helping release stress hormones

 Social support: Through having a chat with fellow students, relatives or a counselor.

 Conclusion:

The results demonstrate clearly that there is a close correlation between the perception of academic stress and sleep architecture changes in university students. Psychological stress impacts university students’ sleep pattern and therefore the change in REM and deep sleep stages. It has an adverse impact on the mental well being of university students and their cognition.