Annotated Bibliography

Lydia Sedy

Prof. Sonia Apgar Begert

English 102

22 May 2015

Annotated Bibliography

Bin, Yu Sun, Nathaniel S. Marshall, and Nick Glozier. "Sleeping at the Limits: The Changing Prevalence of Short and Long Sleep Durations in 10 Countries." American Journal of Epidemiology 177.8 (2013): 826-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

It is commonly said that the prevalence of short sleep lengths is increasing in our society. This study seeks to examine that exact question, analyzing cross-sectional surveys for 10 countries in the past three decades. The differences in survey methods do not enable you to compare countries, which is fine because I think that is beyond the scope of my paper. As far as the United States is concerned, the authors found that in 1985, of 3,000 survey participants, 11.7% reported regularly sleeping less than 6 hours. By 2007, this number dropped to 9.2% in the over 11,000 survey participants that responded. These numbers are interesting, as they contradict what other articles claim and what the population expresses. The authors describe this idea that we are sleeping less might be derived from the fact that people generally sleep less as they get older, skewing our perceptions of actual change. Although this source does not add a supporting voice to my claims, I can use it to present an alternate view on how much society sleeps as a whole.

Carrell, Scott E., Teny Maghakian, and James E. West. “A's from Zzzz's? T he Causal Effect of School Start Time on the Academic Achievement of Adolescents.” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 3.3 (2011): 62-81. JSTOR. Web. 11 May 2015.

The authors explore why teens are sleep-deprived, specifically looking at the effects of early school start times. They studied students attending United States Air Force Academy to take advantage of the more controlled environment, and found that students who were assigned early morning classes had worse grades in those classes and in their classes later the same day. I had originally thought this source would be helpful to my argument but I am not so sure now. The study is more specifically geared towards school start time and academic success, not sleep length and academic success. (All students woke at the same time, regardless of class times). In its conclusion it does suggest the importance of circadian rhythms on academic performance, but I don’t think that will apply to my paper’s scope. I will keep it in mind but I think I will have better results with time spent understanding other sources.

Chiang, Yu-Chih, et al. “The Effects of Sleep on Academic Performance and Job Performance.” College Student Journal 48.1 (2014): 72-87. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 May 2015.

This study examines the effects of poor sleep on academic and job performance. An online questionnaire was formed, and student GPAs were obtained from the registrar’s office to prevent bias. The authors found that students who had trouble falling asleep had lower GPAs. Poor sleep also significantly affected job quality, particularly in the “hospitality industry” where schedules are more demanding and change frequently. I can use this study as another support to claim that sleep significantly affects job performance and academic performance.

Clickinbeard, Samantha, et al. "Sleep and Delinquency: Does the Amount of Sleep Matter?" Journal of Youth & Adolescence 40.7 (2011): 916-30. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.

This study aims to answer the question, “Does the amount of sleep matter?” by examining delinquent behavior in adolescents and the amount of hours they slept.  The authors state that their findings should be repeated before considered absolute, but they did find that children who slept less were involved in more property delinquency. The authors also acknowledge that the correlation between sleep and delinquency might not be causational, and that the sleep problems themselves may be a cause of other issues with self-control. I can still use this study to support the argument that insufficient sleep impairs some cognitive functioning like decision making.

Dang-Vu, T.T., et al. “A role for sleep in brain plasticity.” Pediatric Rehabilitation 9.2 (2006): 98-118. EBSCOHost. Web. 11 May 2015.

This article is an extensive, scientific study on the effects sleep has on brain plasticity. The authors refer to over 200 references to support their arguments. A number of specific processes are carefully studied, including neural development and REM sleep, consolidation of memories, reactivations of neurons during sleep, neurotransmitter levels, gene transcription, and protein synthesis. The authors explain several limitations of the studies, and warn readers to critically use data, as many of these studies are recent, preliminary findings. However, the information is fascinating, and will be valuable in supporting my arguments. I plan to particularly cite the role of sleep in brain development and the findings that neurons ‘repeat’ activations to incorporate experiences into long term memory.

Gaultney, Jane F. “The Prevalence of Sleep Disorders in College Students: Impact on Academic Performance.” Journal of American College Health. 59.2 (2010): 91-97. EBSCOHost. Web. 11 May 2015.

The purpose of this study was to look at sleep disorders in college students, and what effect they had on grade point average (GPA). 1,845 students took part in the survey, and their GPAs were obtained from the registrar’s office to prevent any bias. The author did find that GPAs were significantly correlated with the amount of sleep the students received, however those correlations were “weak,” and Gaultney warns readers to interpret findings cautiously. The relationship between sleep and GPAs has not been proven to be cause-and-effect, however, I think I can still use it in my paper to cite another source that has found support for the hypothesis.

Gradisar, M., et al. "Adolescent Sleep and Working Memory Performance." Sleep and Biological Rhythms 6.3 (2008): 146-54. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

This study examined the correlation between insufficient sleep in adolescents and working memory performance. Working memory is defined as “the ability to temporarily store and manipulate information while performing complex cognitive tasks.” One task required students to remember a sequence of numbers and then later “operate” on the numbers, for example, by changing the order in which they appeared. The authors did find that students who had slept less did not perform as well on the tests, specifically the more complex tasks that involved manipulating the information. Students who got the optimal eight to nine hours of sleep took less time to fall asleep and had less daytime sleepiness, which contributed to better results on the tasks. I can use this study to provide more evidence that poor sleep does interfere with complex brain processes such as memory.

Kelly, William E., Kathryn E. Kelly, and Robert C. Clanton. "The Relationship Between Sleep Length and Grade-Point Average Among College Students." College Student Journal 35.1 (2001): 84. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

This study explores the idea that students who sleep less have lower GPAs. The study did find that students who slept longer than nine or more hours every 24 had a higher GPA on average. However, students who slept the average amount (7-8 hours) did not have significantly different GPAs from short sleepers (6 hours or less). I can use this source to support the claim that long sleep is beneficial in the academic environment.

Lee, Shih-Yu, et al. “Stress and Sleep Disturbances in Female College Students.” American Journal of Health Behavior 37.6 (2013): 851-58. EBSCOHost. Web. 11 May 2015.

Anyone would agree that college can be stressful, and that students probably don’t have the best sleep habits. This study aims to define the relationships between sleep, stress, and wellbeing, particularly looking at depressive and physical symptoms. The authors had 103 female students record their sleep habits for 7 days, and then take a standardized questionnaire. Lee and colleagues found that women who had poor quality sleep had more daytime fatigue and worse depressive and physical symptoms. Also, participants who experienced less sleep time overall expressed the same problems. Although this study has limitations, as it is relying on self-reported information, I can still use it to describe some of the adverse effects that poor sleep has on health.

“Longer Work Days Leave Americans Nodding Off On the Job.” National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation. 3 Mar. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

This article is a summary of the 2008 Sleep in America poll, conducted by the National Sleep Foundation. It is filled with all sorts of findings related to work, shifts, and sleep quality. I think the most pertinent to my project are the facts that 65% of Americans report having sleep problems, including fragmented sleep, difficulty falling asleep, or not feeling refreshed upon awakening. More than half of the responders build up a sleep debt and “catch up” on lost hours during the weekend. (Other studies show this to be destructive). And 32% reported driving drowsy at least once a month. At the end of the article, some tips for healthy sleep hygiene are given, which might come in handy for my paper. I can also use the data to express some numbers in our society and give an idea of how our country perceives the importance of sleep.

Maquet, Pierre. “The Role of Sleep in Learning and Memory.”Science, New Series 294.5544 (2001): 1048-52. JSTOR. Web. 11 May 2015.

Marquet’s goal is to explore the role of sleep in brain plasticity, specifically to give more evidence that neurons are involved in processing memory during sleep. Although he recognizes issues the study doesn’t address and elements that should be researched further, Marquet finds that sleep is involved with and benefits the consolidation of memories. Consolidating memories includes re-activating neural paths, analyzing them, and possibly strengthening them for long-term memory. Some brain activities were carefully tracked during sleep, and were found to match the activity recorded while awake. This suggests memories are repossessed during sleep. Marquet also found that subjects who were allowed to sleep after training performed significantly better on later tests.  Although there is a lot of great information in this source, the evidence is preliminary and I need to be mindful of that. I think if I am fair in the way I present it, the reader can learn a lot in support of my argument that sleep is important to memory and learning.

Millman, Richard P. “Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents and Young Adults: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Strategies.” Pediatrics 115.6 (2005): 1774-86. EBSCOHost. Web. 11 May 2015.

This article is a review of 150 other studies, articles, and publications. The author’s goal was to explore changes in adolescents sleep patterns, define factors of chronic insufficient sleep, explain the effect of insufficient sleep on a number of functions, and report common sleep disorders and solutions. Millman found a lot of support that daytime sleepiness (caused by less total sleep time or fragmented sleep) has negative effects on performance and cognitive abilities. Some of the studies he reviewed are ones I am using for my project (Wolfson and Carskadon, Trockel et al, Kelly et al) so it was interesting to see them briefly summarized and analyzed. The way the author has condensed a massive amount of findings into understandable chunks makes the topic much more understandable. I’m not sure how I will use it, as this is a secondary source. Even if it doesn’t end up in my paper, I will probably count it as a reference.

Saey, Tina Hesman. Sleep Interruptions Erode Memory.” Science News 180.5 (2011): 9. JSTOR. Web. 11 May 2015.

This article reports about a study that focused on the need for continuous sleep in mice. The mice were introduced to new objects, and then tried to sleep. Their sleep was interrupted once every minute, for four hours. In previous studies, waking mice can cause stress and add other factors to the study that effect the results. In this study, a light-sensing protein was introduced into the brain, so that by stimulating the cells, you can “wake” the mice without stressing them out. This more accurate experiment found that mice who got interrupted sleep could not remember the objects they had seen before, and treated them just like new objects. Although the study is on mice and not humans, I think it still expresses there is a biological need for sleep, and I can use that in my project.

Sadeh, Avi, Reut Gruber, and Amiram Raviv. “Sleep, Neurobehavioral Functioning, and Behavior Problems in School-Age Children.” Child Development 73.2 (2002): 405-17. JSTOR. Web. 11 May 2015.

This study explores how sleep affects neurobehavioral functioning (NBF) in school-aged children. The children’s sleep habits were assessed by wearing a small actigraph on their wrist while they slept. This device records sleep activities throughout the night. A series of six tests, measuring motor speed, reaction time, omission/commission errors, and digit learning was then conducted twice each day. Correlations between sleep quality and test performance suggest that children who got poor quality sleep had greater problems with attention, reaction, and behavior regulation. I can use this study to support my argument that sleep significantly affects processes like behavior and attention.

---. “The Effects of Sleep Restriction and Extension on School-Age Children: What a Difference an Hour Makes.” Child Development 74.2 (2003): 444-55. JSTOR. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

This study, done by the same team as above, explores the effects of restricting and extending children’s sleep time on their neurobehavioral functioning (BNF). The authors’ aim was to look particularly on the effects of a minimal difference in sleep times, ranging from 30 minutes to one hour. This was done to reflect the regular changes that may result in a child's day to day life. They found that extension of sleep led to improved memory function and improved performance on a complex reaction test. I can use this source to again support for the argument that even small changes in sleep schedules affects important processes in the brain and should be considered a valuable asset in academic achievement.

Schenck, Carlos H. Sleep: A Groundbreaking Guide to the Mysteries, the Problems, and the Solutions. New York: Penguin Group. 2007. Print.

This book gives a broad scope of information on sleep. It is written as a guide, so the majority of it is spent discussing sleep disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and more serious issues such as sleepwalking and other parasomnias. I think the most valuable parts for me are the introduction and first chapter, which describe the clear importance of sleep. Although there is controversy on what sleep’s primary function is, we can easily study what goes wrong without sleep. Schenk reports a long list of things, including decrease concentration and decision-making abilities, frustration, and more. I can use this source to offer another variety of voice in my argument that sleep really is important.

Taillard, Jaques, Pierre Philip, and Bernard Bioulac. "Morningness/Eveningness and the Need for Sleep." Journal of Sleep Research 8.4 (1999): 291-95. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.

This study examines the effects of morning/eveningness on daytime sleepiness. Eveningness is defined as going to bed and waking at later times of day, spending less time sleeping during the week, and then compensating by sleeping more in the weekend (building a “sleep debt”).  Although the authors did find that subjects who accumulated a weekday dept of sleep dealt with more drowsiness during the day, the evening-types did not report feeling more sleepy. A number of explanations were given, including the report that evening-types drank significantly more coffee. The big conclusion of this study is that people react differently to sleep deprivation, especially evening-types. Although this study isn’t very conclusive, I can use it to support an argument that sleeping less in the week and building asleep debt does relate to more sleepiness in the daytime.

Trockel, Michey T., Michael D Barnes, and Dennis L. Egget. “Health-Related Variables and Academic Performance Among First-Year College Students: Implications for Sleep and Other Behaviors.” Journal of American College Health 49.3 (2000): 125-31. EBSCOHost. Web. 11 May 2015.

This study explores the effect of many health-related variables on the GPAs of random students. Some of the variables included sleep habits, work hours, exercise, spiritual health, nutrition, and social support. Of the 31 variables surveyed, sleep habits, such as wake up time, bedtime, and total sleep time, showed the most significant positive correlation with GPA. The authors warn readers that this is preliminary work and needs more support, but I think if presented correctly, I can still use the results to support my argument that sleep does affect academic performance.

Wells, Mary Ellen, and Bradley V. Vaughn. "Poor Sleep Challenging the Health of a Nation." Neurodiagnostic Journal 52.3 (2012): 233-49. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.

This study’s goal was to examine and then report the wide range of effects that sleep has on our society. The authors reviewed over 80 credible sources, from scientific studies to government agencies. They grouped information according to themes, and then condensed the findings, similar to a literature review. Throughout their research, they found poor sleep contributing to major disasters. For example, a study on the cause of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion. Other themes included sleep’s impact on performance and productivity, stress, and drowsy driving, citing that “1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries each year are a direct result of driver fatigue.” Further topics explore the impact on healthcare and the economy. This article is a secondary source so I will need to be careful when using it, but it offers such a wide range of information supporting a lot of my arguments, I think it will be a valuable source for my research project.

Wolfson, Amy R., and Mary A. Carskadon. “Sleep Schedules and Daytime Functioning in Adolescents.” Child Development 69.4 (1998): 875-87. JSTOR. Web. 11 May 2015.

Various surveys, studies, and polls have shown quite consistently that teens do not get enough sleep. This study looks specifically at how adolescent's sleep schedules affect their daytime functioning. A survey was given to 3,120 students at four schools in Rhode Island. The survey considered sleep time, bedtime, and risetime during school-nights and weekends, as well as school performance, daytime sleepiness, sleep/wake problems, and depressive mood. The authors found that in general, students with both short sleep and irregular sleep schedules reported more sleepiness, more depressed mood, and greater problems with sleep/wake behaviors (than did adequate sleepers). They do explain how different variables, such as family situations, can also affect sleep schedules and grades, so this one study cannot prove a direct causation between sleep and good grades. However, I believe I can still use it to describe the importance of maintaining a regular and adequate sleep schedule, and how it affects many areas, such as academic performance, mood, and behavior.