Memo Date: To: From: Subject: Purpose The purpose of this proposal is to request permission to research the feasibility

of creating a Sleep C-enter at UAA, including the cost of creating and maintaining the center, the potential benefits from the center and the students desire to use the center. Summary Students attending college often do not get enough sleep due to the high demands and busy schedules. Without adequate sleep, students cannot perform as well academically (Pilcher, 1997). When a person is sleep deprived, taking a short nap can increase their cognitive function and alertness (Tietzel, 2002). Some students at UAA chose to take naps in the lobby areas of UAA, which can be distracting to students who are using these areas to study. I propose researching the feasibility of creating a Sleep Center at UAA so students can comfortably sleep and keep from distracting others who wish to use areas around campus for studying. I will determine the feasibility of this project by determining whether students will utilize the Sleep Center, the cost of creating and maintaining the Sleep Center, researching other programs similar to this that have been implemented, and determining the amount of space needed for a Sleep Center. Introduction It is commonly known that while attending school, many students do not get a full nights sleep due to busy, and demanding schedules and heavy workloads. Lack of sleep can have a very negative effect on a students ability to perform well academically. In a study on the effects of sleep deprivation on college students ability to perform complex tasks, June Pilcher and Amy Walters (1997) found that students who did not sleep for 24 hours performed much worse on a cognitive function test than students who had gotten the recommended eight hours of rest in the same 24 hour period (p. 6). Sleep can be a significant factor in a students academic performance and the lack of sleep may lead to lower grades and less productivity. February 21, 2014 Krista Soria Jethro B. Swavely Proposal for Sleep Center at UAA

Often due to scheduling and the demands of work and life, students may not be able to get a full nights sleep at home. Many students take short naps in between classes in the lobby areas at UAA. This can be very distracting to other students who are trying to use these areas for studying. However, for the students who are sleep deprived, taking a nap on campus in these common areas is the best option for improving their academic performance after sleep deprivation. According to Tietzel and Lack (2002), Following mild nocturnal sleep restriction, a 10-min afternoon nap significantly improved subjective alertness, fatigue and SDST [Symbol-digit substitution task] performance 35 min postnap, and objective and subjective alertness 65 min postnap (p. 5). In an effort to reduce the negative effects of sleep deprivation among students of UAA, I would like research the feasibility of creating a Sleep Center at UAA. This Sleep Center would be a place for students to comfortably nap in between classes, helping them achieve quality sleep and keep them from disrupting other students trying to study between classes. The following sections of this memo include the proposed tasks, the task schedule, my qualifications, and the references cited. Program With permission from Krista Soria, I would like to perform the following tasks to determine the feasibility of creating a Sleep Center at UAA:

Task 1. Determine that a large number of students at UAA are sleep

deprived. Though it is common to see students sleeping at UAA, there are no current statistical findings that directly show that students at UAA are sleep deprived. However, according to the UAA FactBook (2010), 44.6% of students at UAA are between the ages of 18 and 24 years old (p. 3). The CDC (2014) reported that in 2009, 43.7% of adults between 18 and 24 years old had fallen asleep unintentionally at least once in the past month. These findings may certainly be correlated, though it is important to directly determine the amount of sleep deprived students at UAA before assuming that there is a large percentage of sleep-deprived students at UAA. This task will be accomplished through conducting a survey on a portion of the student body.

Task 2. Determine if students will be willing to use the Sleep Center facility.
After determining the amount of students at UAA who suffer from sleep deprivation, I must then determine the amount of students who would be

willing to utilize the Sleep Center facility. This task will be accomplished through conducting a survey on a portion of the student body.

Task 3. Determine the potential benefits of having a Sleep Center.

I have already found information on the benefits of short naps after sleep deprivation, and the increased performance levels that shift workers at the Veterans Administration Palo Alto had found after implementing a strategic nap program (Conveniently Located. . . , 2008). More research will be conducted to find more evidence of the effects of creating sleep areas at different workplaces and schools.

Task 4. Determine the amount of use the Sleep Center will receive.
I will determine in my survey the amount of students willing to use the sleep center and how often they would use it. Determining the amount of use the sleep center will receive will make it more clear how large the budget and the area needed for the sleep center should be.

Task 5: Determine the cost of creating and maintaining a Sleep Center at UAA.
Once the amount of use the Sleep Center will see is determined, then the budget needed to create and maintain the Sleep Center can be determined. Some costs associated with creating a Sleep Center are cost of beds, cleaning and maintenance, security, and staff (if necessary). Other costs that are currently unknown will be determined by researching similar projects done by other schools and workplaces.

Task 6. Determine the amount of space needed for a Sleep Center at UAA.
Once the amount of use the Sleep Center will receive is determined, then the amount of space needed for the Sleep Center can be determined. Once the amount of space is determined, I will research if UAA has space that can be converted into a Sleep Center.

Criteria.
The following questions will be answered in order to determine the feasibility of creating a Sleep Center at UAA: Will students utilize a Sleep Center? Willing having a Sleep Center make a positive impact on the student body? Can UAA afford to create a sleep center? Can UAA afford to maintain a sleep center? Does UAA have space for a sleep center? Qualifications

I am a full-time student and this is my second semester studying at UAA. Last semester I had a 4.0 GPA. I have done some research for my own benefit on the positive effects of napping and polyphasic sleeping. Task Schedule Task Distribute Questionnaire Analyze Questionnaire Results Conduct Further Research on the Benefits of Creating a Sleep Center Conduct Research on the Cost and Space Needed for Sleep Center Complete Graphics Write Report, Abstract and Assemble Appendix Submit Feasibility Rough Draft Feasibility Peer Review PowerPoint Presentation Submit Feasibility Final Draft

Date Completed March 2 March 9 March 16 March 21 March 30 April 6 April 13 April 20 May 1 May 1

References Conveniently located napping rooms provide opportunity for night- and extended-shift providers to rest, leading to less fatigue and better performance. (2008, February). Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Retrieved from http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=1722 Insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic. (2014, January). The Center for Disease Control. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssleep/ Pilcher, J. J., PhD., & Walters, A. S., M.A. (1997). How sleep deprivation affects psychological variables related to college students' cognitive performance. Journal of American College Health, 46(3), 121-126. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/87511 1673?accountid=14473 Rice, G., Dong, Y.F., Matthews, C., Brown, S. (2010) University of Alaska 2010 Fact Book. Retrieved from

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/ir/publications/upload/2010-Fact-Book-pdf2.pdf Tietzel, A. J., & Lack, L. C. (2002). The recuperative value of brief and ultrabrief naps on alertness and cognitive performance. Journal of Sleep Research, 11(3), 213-218.