Sleep Hygiene, Quality, Quantity, and Outcomes Among Residential College Students

Background: The American College Health Association (2005) has found that college students have long sleep latencies, frequent night waking, and short sleep. Consequently, self-reported health data shows that students with inadequate sleep have significantly poorer health (Steptoe, Peacey, and Wardle, 2006). In addition, college students are in a unique situation where their life adjustment and educational performance are affected (Buboltz, Brown, and Soper, 2001), as well as being a population with unique influences on sleep such as a community setting, peer pressure, roommates, school work, and more. Sleep hygiene, defined as sleep related factors such as behaviors and environmental conditions that can be adjusted by individuals to reduce insomnia and improve quality and quantity of sleep has not been studied extensively among college students previously in conjunction with other sleep variables. An understanding of sleep hygiene practices may help university staff to design sleep hygiene interventions in residence halls to foster a sleep-promoting environment, which may promote student success, health, and wellness.

Purpose: This presentation highlights the results of a survey investigation, which evaluated the sleep hygiene behaviors, perceived control over sleep, sleep quality and quantity, and overall wellness among residential college students.

Methods: Participants included students, aged 18 and over, living in the residence halls of a large Midwestern university during the spring semester of 2012. Students completed an online Qualtrics survey distributed by residence hall staff. Survey measures include demographics, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Perceived Wellness Survey, the Sleep Hygiene Index, and the Insomniacs' Perceived Control Over Sleep Questionnaire. Descriptive analyses, correlations, and regression analyses were utilized to examine overall sleep factors, relationships among variables, and predictive pathways to overall sleep outcomes.

Results: Analyses highlight a myriad of significant relationships among the variables surveyed underlying that currently sleep behaviors and outcomes in students are poor. Presented results will include (1) descriptives of students responses to measures, (2) significant relationships among select variables, and (3) what may be a descriptive model for promotion of sleep outcomes.

Discussion: The findings conclude that the current state of college students' sleep is inadequate, that the inadequacy stems from poor sleep hygiene practices, and it has detrimental effects on health, wellness, and student success. Emphasis will be on presenting the findings that may be of most benefit for university faculty, staff, and administrators for fostering a sleep-promoting environment in their residence halls. Suggestions will be presented for promoting adequate sleep hygiene.