Week 1: Why You Need Those Eight Hours of Sleep

Welcome back to my blog. I hope you enjoyed my week 0 introduction blog. To recap, my project aims to investigate how sleep deprivation affects memory consolidation differently in STEM and humanities classes. However, before I could connect sleep deprivation to subject-specific memory recall, I had to research the association between sleep deprivation and memory consolidation.  

But first, I have good news. After months of searching, I have finally secured an on-site placement. I am proud to announce that I will be working with Dr. Janice Lau at Brooklyn Heights Pediatric Dentistry. Although she is primarily a dentist, Dr. Lau has experience with sleep conditions, specifically airway pathways and sleep medicine. She will provide invaluable guidance in my research and design process. In future weeks, I hope to assist with sleep tests and analyze sleep monitor data relating to the stages of sleep. 

This week, I began reading my course texts, with a specific aim to understand the biological and neurological processes linking sleep deprivation to impaired memory consolidation. Specifically, this week I read: “The neurocognitive consequences of sleep restriction,“ by Cassandra Lowe (2017), “The effect of sleep deprivation on adolescent learning and memory,“ by Satyavah Dwivedi (2023), “Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students,” by Shelley Hershner (2014), “Irregular sleep/wake patterns are associated with poorer academic performance and delayed circadian and sleep/wake timing,” by Andrew Phillips (2017), “Behavioral and physiological consequences of sleep restriction,” by Siobhan Banks (2007), and “System consolidation of memory during sleep,” by Jan Born (2011).  

To summarize the key findings, sleep is essential for brain function as it supports memory consolidation, attention, and executive functioning (Lowe et al., 2017). Of these functions, sleep deprivation impairs sustained attention and long-term memory the most, which can explain zoning out in class and forgetting studied material over time (Dwivedi, 2023). Furthermore, memory is dependent on the stage of sleep, including slow wave sleep (strengthening knowledge) and REM sleep (supporting skills and emotional memory) (Lowe et al., 2017). This is especially detrimental to teenagers as their circadian rhythms (biological clocks) are set later in the evening, preventing earlier bedtimes (Hershner & Chervin, 2014). Sleep deprivation can also lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and reduced glucose tolerance (Phillips et al., 2017). Some interesting facts I learned were that sleep deprivation-related car accidents have fatality rates comparable to alcohol-related crashes. And that each hour of lost sleep can drop grades by ~.21 GPA (Lowe et al., 2017; Dwivedi, 2023).

Next week, I will be diving deeper into the link between sleep deprivation and academic outcomes and the effectiveness of sleep recovery. While this week’s research established the association between sleep deprivation and impaired memory consolidation, next week’s texts will complete this multi-step link connecting memory consolidation to academic outcomes and potential solutions. 

References: 

Banks, S., & Dinges, D. F. (2007). Behavioral and physiological consequences of sleep restriction. Journal of clinical sleep medicine, 3(5), 519-528. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.26918 

Born, J., & Wilhelm, I. (2012). System consolidation of memory during sleep. Psychological research, 76(2), 192-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-011-0335-6 

Dwivedi, S. (2023). The effect of sleep deprivation on adolescent learning and memory. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Education and Research, 2455-4588. https://multieducationjournal.com/assets/archives/2023/vol8issue4/10019.pdf 

Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students. Nature and science of sleep, 73-84. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S62907

Lowe, C. J., Safati, A., & Hall, P. A. (2017). The neurocognitive consequences of sleep restriction: a meta-analytic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 586-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.010

Phillips, A. J., Clerx, W. M., O’Brien, C. S., Sano, A., Barger, L. K., Picard, R. W., … & Czeisler, C. A. (2017). Irregular sleep/wake patterns are associated with poorer academic performance and delayed circadian and sleep/wake timing. Scientific reports, 7(1), 3216. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03171-4