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The Effects of Insufficient Sleep

 As emerging adults, college students face new challenges such as establishing identity and future life goals, handling finances, living independently and modifying existing and adopting new social roles causing them to have higher risks of experiencing impared sleep due to having high levels of perceived stress. Insomnia and sleep disturbances have been shown to be a precipitating factor for incidence of mental illness. Such effects include: 

  1. Significant Risk Factors for Depression and Mental Disorders

    • People suffering from insomnia show a two-to three fold (odds ratio [OR]) increased risk for 

      1. Depression

      2. Anxiety disorders

      3. Substance Abuse Disorders

      4. Alcohol Abuse

  2. Significant Risk Factors for Medical Conditions

    • Insomnia has been reported to have significant risk for medical conditions like

      1. Arthritis 

      2. Whiplash

      3. Arthrosis

      4. Headache 

      5. Asthma 

      6. Myocardial Infarction

  3. Sleep Disturbances and Insomnia in college students are associated with:

    1. Personal Distress

    2. Lower Quality of Life

    3. Lower Academic Achievement

    4. Impaired Declarative and Procedural Memory Performance

    5. Increase the risk of self- and third-party endangerment

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