The result of meta-analytic review: School performance depends on sleep duration and quality

Briefly twenty-six studies from 61 detailed studies within 589 potentially sources showed the relationship between one of the sleep domains and adolescents’ school performance(Figure 3). About 17 studies for each domain evidenced the link between sleepiness, sleep-quality, sleep duration and school academic performance. Overall, the study concluded that better sleep quality, more sleep and lower sleepiness features were connected with better school performance. To conclude, even the number of detailed studies is short, almost about 50% of whole party could confirm the relation between sleep and academic performance.

Figure 3. The Meta-Analytic review. Source: Dewald et al. 2010, 181.

Sleep duration has impact on performance: How much sleep do we need?

In their studies in 1975 Webb and Agnew(1975 quoted in Ferrara and De Gennaro 2001, 158) confirms that chronic sleep deprivation is extended in most people, and they ought to sleep between 9–10 hours on behalf of the average 7.5 hours. In contrast, Horne(1988 quoted in Ferrara and De Gennaro 2001, 158) suggests that one between 4.5 and 6 hours per night occurs as a “core” quantity of sleep. He also affirms an ability of people to easily fit in to a 5-6 hours of sleep time. However, even the amount of time is not the same in all age groups, Merikanto et al.(2013, 1105) concluded as for being well-rested adolescents need to be in bed about 8-9 hours per night.

Effects of later bedtimes: Delayed bedtime is associated with destroyed normal lifestyle and lack of school scheduling

According to Merikanto et al, it was confirmed that later bedtimes decreases school performance and personal motivation(Figure 4). On the other hand, if it will be considered as later bedtimes lead to sleep deprivation, Dinges et al. and Ferrara and De Gannaro studies has confirmed relation of sleep deprivation with weakened academic performance as was presented before. Thus, some main results of distributed earlier and later bedtimes by the key socioeconomic, and health characteristics(Figure 5) mean that sleep disorders can even damage human life. To sum up, while earlier bedtimes are not carried, it may lead to social and health problems for students as well as organized lifestyle is the key thing for their success in academic performance.

Figure 4. School performance by bedtime. Source: Merikanto et al. 2013.

Figure 5. Background socio-demographic, socio-economic, and health related characteristics across bedtimes. Source: Merikanto et al. 2013.

Neurogenesis and memory studies on sleep: Well academic performance comes with an adequate sleep

To start with, for a long time neuroscience studying brain activities had shown that when mammals reach an adulthood, their brain do not create neurons anymore(Kopasz et al. 2010, 168). However, on the other hand, investigation over the last decades established counter evidence. New neurons are significant in “hippocampal regulation of cognitive functions and emotional behavior”(Meerlo et al. 2009, 187-188). Additionally, stress can resist to the growth of neurons, but antidepressant medications is the way to deal with it.

In the study by Scott and Polman(2006, 396-397) it was supported that many days without adequate sleep has been insisted to have significant negative effects on personal mood. What is more, only a few studies outlined the influence of physical exercises to performance induced by sleep deprivation and most of the studies highlighted exercise as an extra stressor. Up to a point, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association had described a problem in initiating sleep or difficulty in falling asleep during the night leads people often moan of being reduced in their capacity to learn and tired during the day and feel a serious distress and enter harmed social and professional fields of working(Alapin et.al 2000, 382). Briefly, this considers that short amount sleep may disturb human feelings and give an extra stress as well as physical exercises ought to be avoided at night to keep body unburdened.

Next, Ahrberg and co-workers(2012, 1621) from Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich investigated that academic performance was linked with both the level of stress and sleep quality before exam, but not during term or after exam. Despite the fact that low performance indicated low sleep quality and high stress, however those students who generally sleep poorly do not receive bad grades. However, the results could highlight relation between worsened sleep quality, stress and school grades before quiz.

Yet Steenari et al. concluded that sleep quality is more strongly linked with working memory performance rather than sleep duration, after exploring various sleep efficiencies, sleep latencies and the relations of actigraphically monitored sleep with the activity of auditory and visual working memory in children(2003 quoted in Kopasz et al. 2010, 168-169). Furthermore, Randazzo and co-workers emphasized the decline of higher cognitive functioning, such as verbal creativity, while other functions, such as declarative visual functioning and verbal learning, were not noticeably influenced after one night of restrained sleep(1998 quoted in Kopasz et al. 2010, 168-169). Besides, verbal learning was even bettered after sleep restriction. On the other hand, a mounting size of data extracted from adult human and animal studies, proposes that specific stages of memory processing, including encoding, consolidation, retrieval, or even further processing such as reconsolidation and integration are promoted with sleep(Kopasz et al. 2010, 167). Above all, it verifies that most partition of memory functions relating to our learning abilities like verbal, visual learning might be enhanced with sleep.

Other reported research by many Science Department members followed by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that two hours of restricted sleep in the early morning provided upon sixty university students brought seniors to be tired, lesser careful and consuming more power(Hansen et al., 1555). Thus, it shows high impact of sleep on our physiology, visual and ordinate balance, and conservation of energy. In short, sleep has strong impact on academic performance in heath, social life, mood, self-esteem, relationship, work and school fields.

Recommendations

Some studies had offered to delay school beginning times to create more open hours for a vast range of resting activities to meet the rising demand, which might help for students to become tired more earlier and have sufficient sleep hours. (Merikanto et al., 1110). While other scientists recommend for students to eat meals at appropriate times and restrict the use of media and social activities like chatting to avoid later bedtimes, as well as students become unable to control themselves when they are far from parents and houses(Asaoka et al. 2010, 248).