Sleep

Why Does It Matter?

"The benefits of a good night's sleep" by Shai Marcu, 6 minutes

Healthy sleep is essential for brain health. When we sleep, our brains stay active, strengthening neural networks to solidify declarative and procedural memory (The benefits of a good night’s sleep, 2015).

According to an article published in the Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, a significant proportion of college students, around 70%, do not receive adequate sleep and/or do not have good quality sleep. The study found that poor sleep quality is associated with lower academic performance, and students from the study that had poor sleep quality had significantly lower GPAs than students with clinically good sleep quality (Gilbert & Weaver, 2010). Read more...

About the Instruments

  • The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) survey aims to understand an individual’s quality of sleep, and scores participants into one of two categories: good sleep quality or poor sleep quality. There are 9 questions included in the PSQI survey, and it takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

  • The Horne-Ostberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) is intended for participants over age 18, and aims to identify an individual's peak alertness (morning, evening, or in between). This survey includes 5 questions and takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

  • The Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) is intended for participants under age 18, and aims to identify an individual's peak alertness (morning, evening, or in between). This survey includes 10 questions and takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

  • The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is intended for participants over age 18 years, and aims to assess an individual’s tendency towards daytime sleepiness. There are 8 questions on the ESS, and it takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

  • Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS) aims to identify tendencies towards daytime sleepiness in participants under 18 years of age. There are 8 questions on the PDSS, and it takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Details about the above surveys and where they come from can be found in the document attached to this page.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Sleep

References

  • Adan & Almirall (1991). Horne & Östberg morningness-eveningness questionnaire: A reduced scale. Personality & Individual Differences, 12(3), 241-253.

  • Buysse, D.J., Reynolds III, C.F., Monk, T.H., Berman, S.R., & Kupfer, D.J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: A new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 28(2), 193-213.

  • Diaz-Morales, J.F., Davila de Leon, C., & Gutierrez Sorroche, M. (2007). Validity of the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children Among Spanish Adolescents. Chronobiology International, 24(3): 435–447.

  • Drake, C., Nickel, C., Burduvali, E., Roth, T., Jefferson, C., and P. Badia (2003). The pediatric daytime sleepiness scale (PDSS): sleep habits and school outcomes in middle-school children. Sleep, 26(4):455-458.

  • Gilbert, Steven P. and Cameron C. Weaver. "Sleep Quality and Academic Performance in University Students: A Wake-Up Call for College Psychologists." Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, vol. 24, no. 4, Oct-Dec 2010, pp. 295-306. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/87568225.2010.509245.

  • Johns, M.W. (1991). A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Sleep, 14(6), 540-545.

  • The benefits of a good night’s sleep - Shai Marcu. (2015, January 5). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gedoSfZvBgE&feature=youtu.be