RELATIONSHIP OF SLEEP, STUDY AND PERFORMANCE

Relationship of Sleep, Study and Performance



Relationship of Sleep, Study and Performance

Sleep is crucial for children and adolescents' learning, memory processes and school performance.[ G. Curcio, M. Ferrara and L. De Gennaro, 2006], [G. Fallone, J.A. Owens and J. Deane, 2002] and [Wolfson and Carkson, 2003] Research shows that poor sleep, increased sleep fragmentation, late bedtimes and early awakenings seriously affect learning capacity, school performance, and neurobehavioral functioning.[ G. Curcio, M. Ferrara and L. De Gennaro, 2006], [G. Fallone, J.A. Owens and J. Deane, 2002] and [Wolfson and Carkson, 2003] Nevertheless, due to methodological differences between studies, it is difficult to draw generalizable conclusions about the relationship between sleep and school performance.

Sleep can be defined as an active, repetitive and reversible state of perceptual disengagement from and unresponsiveness to the environment. (M.A. Carskadon and W.C. Dement, 2005) Empirical evidence demonstrates an association between sleep and the consolidation of cognitive performance, which is required for executive functioning including abstract reasoning, goal directed behavior, and creative processing.[ G. Curcio, M. Ferrara and L. De Gennaro, 2006] and [.P. Walker, C. Liston, J.A. Hobson and R. Stickgold, 2002] The sleep related overnight brain processes are thought to influence cognitive, physical and emotional performance throughout the day.[ G. Fallone, J.A. Owens and J. Deane, 2002] and [Moore and Meltzer, 2008] A possible explanation for the association between sleep and cognitive- as well as school performance is based on the idea that shortness or disruptions of sleep reduces necessary overnight brain activity that is needed for neurocognitive functioning. Complex tasks requiring abstract thinking, creativity, integration, and planning are primarily influenced by sleep-related problems supporting this view.14 These tasks, representing higher order neurocognitive functioning, are all characterized by an involvement of the prefrontal cortex, which is known to be sensitive to sleep.[Harrison and Horne, 1998] Based on this evidence it can be suggested that insufficient or low quality sleep during (early) adolescence impairs the executive function of the prefrontal cortex16 and consequently the decline of learning abilities and school performance. [R.G. Simmons, R. Burgeson, S. Carlton-Ford and D.A. Blyth R.G. Simmons, R. Burgeson, S. Carlton-Ford and D.A. Blyth, 1987] The impact of cumulative change in early adolescence.[Meijer, 2008]

Sleep quality and sleep duration may be seen as two separate sleep domains. Although these sleep domains overlap to some extent, qualitative differences exist between them. Sleep quality refers to the subjective indices of ...