About This Project

Many students experience unhealthy disturbances in their sleeping patterns. My project aims to understand how these disturbances are influenced by teaching methods in schools and lifestyle choices at home. Students from each of the 10 countries will be surveyed and asked about amount of sleep, amount of time spent on homework and other daily activities and how that affects mood. Statistics will be utilized to explore correlations between these different factors.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

A lot of research has been done on sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation as well as the relationship between sleep and mental disorders. However, it is incomprehensible why schools, parents and even teens themselves continue to over schedule their days by taking on an unmanageable amount of work, leading to sleep cycle delays and eventually, exposure to the effects of sleep deprivation. Research is needed to really understand the reasons that lead to a severe lack of sleep within the student body as well as the international differences in sleeping habits within teens. This study will bring an overall perspective to the reasons why teens are sleep deprived and the effects that this deprivation is bringing upon their everyday life.

What is the significance of this project?

A lot of research has been done on the science of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation on mental performance. However, research is needed to really understand the reasons that lead to a severe lack of sleep within the student population as well as the international differences in sleeping habits within teens. A replenished brain after a good sleep is active, relaxed, and way happier than an exhausted brain. Analyzing the sleep patterns of different countries will hopefully reveal trends between academic focus and sleeping habits within the students. It will also bring an overall perspective to the reasons why teens are sleep deprived. Solutions to the problem of chronic sleep deprivation might be proposed and implemented as well.

What are the goals of the project?

I will create a survey to assess sleeping patterns, including; the amount of sleep, naps, bedtimes and wake times.I will ask participants how important sleep is to them and if their parents have spoken to them about sleep habits. The survey will highlight which sleep deprivation symptoms are experienced by asking students to rate how prevalent the symptom is in their everyday lives.Results will show the correlation between the variables of happiness, sleep, and academic involvement. By asking students to rate their overall mood, the amount of sleep, time spent on homework or extracurriculars, and academic success, a correlation between the factors could be analyzed. This survey would be distributed through Instagram and directly sent to schools for completion.