About This Project

Teaching methods in schools and lifestyle choices at home will change time slept. I hypothesize that having a more challenging academic life and more time spent on extracurriculars will lead to less sleep and a greater negative effect on mood. Students from each of the countries will be surveyed 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?

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 replenished brain after a good sleep is active, relaxed, and way happier than an exhausted brain. A lot of research has been done on the science of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation on mental performance. However, further 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. 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, and include questions about the amount of sleep, naps, bedtimes and wake times. This survey would be directly sent to schools for completion. 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. The responses will be used to analyze correlations between the variables of happiness, sleep, and academic involvement. I will include one high school from the following countries: US, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Belgium, Amsterdam, Poland, France, Uganda, Japan, Bangladesh, Singapore, and China.