Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance 

Lena Wilson 

March 21, 2018 

Mentor- Mrs. Begay 

 
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Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

Abstract 

Lots of things can contribute to someone's school performance, but sleep 

deprivation is a very big negative factor to school performance. You need sleep to 

function correctly, and be able to think clearly to do simple tasks. Some things that 

contribute to being sleep deprived are Insomnia, Technology, Poor Mental Health, 

Stress, and working, or other late night responsibilities you may have.  
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Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

Sleep deprivation is something almost everyone suffers from at some point 

in their lives. It has become a major problem in America with over 100 million 

people suffering from it annually. Sleep debt is a new term that scientists are using 

to call all the sleep that the body is deprived of. The effects of regularly not getting 

enough sleep accumulate over months and have the same negative impact that a 

single extended period of no sleep has. People can become accustomed to this and 

may not even notice that they are suffering from a shortage of hours “catching z’s”.  

A student pushing themself to learn something new and difficult to them 

might be practically crippled by the effects of sleep debt, which they might not even 

be aware of. The added difficulty caused by these effects then makes it so the 

student has to work longer, which steals more precious time recovering, and the 

sleep debt grows larger. Some students who have fallen really behind may even 

turn to the abuse of prescription stimulant drugs meant for the treatment of ADHD. 

Still the popularity of energy drinks and over the counter supplements for energy 

shows how deeply sleep deprivation negatively affects people. 5 hour energy’s 

multi-billion dollar company can attest to how large-scale people need that extra 

boost. 

There are many other ways in which person, especially students, can become 

sleep deprived. Some causes are physical and may even need the help of a doctor 

to completely solve. However, many causes of sleep deprivation are easy to spot 

and fix.  
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Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders. With over 3 million 

cases a year according to Mayo Clinic, insomnia is what keeps you awake at night. 

There are 3 steps to forming a memory; acquisition, consolidation, and recall. 

Without the proper amount of sleep, it is nearly impossible for the brain to 

consolidate and recall that said memory. Scientists have not yet found a reason 

that sleep helps enhance the memory, but it is said to involve the brain’s 

hippocampus, and the neocortex. The hippocampus replays the memories during 

sleep, while the neocortex stores them in the long-term memory part of your brain. 

This is how a proper memory is formed. Without the proper amount of sleep, 

memories that you had previously experienced now fade away or become a blur. 

Without the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, memories once lived will 

be harder to remember and be stored properly. Insomnia is also linked to cognitive 

impairment. Concentration, memory, reasoning, and problem solving have all been 

proven to become more impaired while you are sleep deprived. Individuals with 

insomnia are also 4 times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than 

those without insomnia. Similar results were linked to those with insomnia 

becoming dependent on substance abuse. All of the cognitive impairments that 

gets bundled with insomnia directly correlates to school performance. These 

specific impairments affect the brain’s capability to understand and retain 

information. Sleep deprivation can cause loss of motivation, and a drain on the 

creative mind.  

 
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Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

Technology in this day and age is very common amongst most people. We as 

humans use technology for various purposes; business, leisure, communication, 

entertainment, you name it. Like most things, there is a time and place for 

everything. Using technology before you sleep is not the time, nor the place. Blue 

light which is emitted from your device(s) can harm your sleep cycle in a multitude 

of ways. Blue light is on the visible light spectrum which reaches deeper into the 

eyes, and halts the natural production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone 

produced by the pineal gland, and it helps regulate sleep. The blue lights emitted 

from your devices screen gives your body the impression that it is not time for bed, 

therefore you won’t fall asleep as quickly or as deeply directly correlating to the 

cognitive impairments that sleep deprivation causes.  

Some use technology as a distraction before it is time to hit the hay. Many 

people take advantage of the advancements of technology and stay up all night on 

their devices. This form of entertainment is destructive in many ways. First, the blue 

light for hours on end suppress the melatonin. Next, staring at screens for hours 

can cause eye irritation symptoms such as eye strains, dry eyes, headache, fatigue, 

dizziness, and even neck pain. According to a study done by Harvard University, 

72% of their students were guilty of using various sets of modern technology to 

combat sleep, leading to the improper amount of hours recommended.  

 
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Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

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Sleep Deprivation Affecting School Performance

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