OLD SCONA VOLUNTARY SLEEP SURVEY

Introduction

Sleep deprivation is a serious problem affecting many high school students. According to a
survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (2006), 45% of Grade 6 to 12 students in the
United States sleep for less than 8 hours. While no formal sleep guidelines exist, nine hours of sleep
for adolescents is the general consensus in the scientific community (National Sleep Foundation,
n.d.; Carskadon, 2002; Eaton, McKnight-Eily, Lowry, Perry, Presley-Cantrell, & Croft, 2010).
Though sleep requirements remain constant for youth between the ages of 13 - 19, changes
in the circadian rhythm of older adolescents favour later sleep and wake times (Carskadon &
Wolfson, 1998). Sleep deprivation is known to increase proportionally with grade-level increases,
for a variety of reasons (Wolfson & Carskadon, 1998). Educational demands, such as early
schedules and academic expectations, contribute to this increase in conjunction with lifestyle
adjustments, such as increased independence from parental influence, extracurricular activities,
and the formation of social networks (Wolfson & Carskadon, 1998; Millman, 2005).
Peer reviews of scientific literature point to broad consequences of sleep deprivation,
ranging from behavioral problems to poor academic achievement (Wolfson & Carskadon, 2003).
Findings show that shortened daily sleep time, irregular sleep/wake schedules, and poor sleep
quality negatively affect academic performance for high school and university students (Wolfson &
Carskadon, 2003).
This survey will provide definitive data on time management and sleep at Old Scona, which
can promote awareness of the impact of these issues. The availability of such information is
important not only for administrative functions, but also for students and parents. A recent survey
found that 90% of parents in the United States believed their child was getting sufficient sleep
(National Sleep Foundation, 2006). While there may be greater awareness at Old Scona, the extent
of this problem in the school as a whole is not yet known. Ending the discord between perceived
and actual assessments of sleep may encourage the development of solutions in the future.

Research Methodology

The Comprehensive Educational Net Sleep Utility Survey (CENSUS), modelled after the
School Sleep Habits Survey created in 1994 by the Bradley Hospital/Brown University Sleep
Research Lab (“School Sleep Habits Survey”, n.d.), applies conventional research on sleep patterns
to an unconventional demographic. Given the dogmatized conceptions of sleep deprivation at Old
Scona Academic High School, the CENSUS was developed to achieve three main objectives:

1. Gather information on the sleep patterns of different demographics within the school
2. Analyze how students partition their time between various activities related to or outside of
school
3. Examine possible associations between sleep and student behaviour, including academic
performance.

To fulfill these objectives, research will be conducted in two phases. A preliminary school-wide
survey will be administered to establish general trends in student sleep patterns and establish a
baseline for comparison. Following the initial investigation, a pool of students will be selected to
participate in the second phase of research which will collect more precise data in the form of a
sleep diary to track daily sleep patterns.

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References:

Carskadon, M. A. (2002). Factors influencing sleep patterns of adolescence. In M. A. Carskadon,

(Ed.), Adolescent sleep patterns: Biological, social, and psychological influences. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
Eaton, McKnight-Eily, Lowry, Perry, Presley-Cantrell, & Croft. (2010). Prevalence of Insufficient,
Borderline, and Optimal Hours of Sleep Among High School Students – United States, 2007.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(2010), 399-401.
Millman, R. P. (2005). Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents and Young Adults: Causes, Consequences,
and Treatment Strategies. Pediatrics, 115(6), 1774-1786.
National Sleep Foundation. (2006). 2006 Sleep in America Poll: Summary of Findings. Washington:
National Sleep Foundation.
National Sleep Foundation (n.d.). Backgrounder: Later School Start Times. Retrieved from
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/hot-topics/backgrounder-later-school-start-times
“School Sleep Habits Survey.” (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.sleepforscience.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/93
Wolfson, A. R., & Carskadon, M. A. (1998). Sleep Schedules and Daytime Functioning in Adolescents.
Child Development, 69(4), 875-887.
Wolfson, A. R., & Carskadon, M. A. (2003). Understanding adolescents' sleep patterns and school
performance: a critical appraisal. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 7(6), 491-506.

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Old Scona Academic Voluntary Sleep Survey

Demographics:

1. Gender: M F
2. What month and year were you born? (month) (year)
3. What grade are you in? (please circle one) 10 11 12
4. Are your grades in school mostly?:
a. 90%+ b. 80% - 89% c. 70% - 79% d. <70%
5. How many courses are you taking (including regular, IB, and options courses)?

6. How many IB courses are you taking?

7. How many spare blocks do you have during the week (number of different blocks not
including blocks 11-14)?
8. Do you usually arrive at or leave the school at similar times each day? Yes / No
9. If your answer to question #7 was Yes,
a. What time do you arrive at school?
b. What time do you leave the school?
10. If your answer to question #6 was No, what time do you:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Arrive at
school?
Leave the
school?

Sleep:

1. On average, what time do you get to bed every night?

On weekdays? On weekends?
2. What is the main reason you usually go to bed at this time on school days? (Please circle
one)
a. My parents have set my bedtime
b. I feel sleepy
c. I finish my homework
d. My TV shows are over
e. My brother(s) or sister(s) go to bed
f. I finish socializing

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Old Scona Academic Voluntary Sleep Survey

g. I get home from my job

h. Other (please specify):
3. On average, what time do you get up each morning?
On weekdays? On weekends?
4. What is the main reason you usually wake up at this time on school days? (Please circle one)
a. Noises or my pet wakes me up
b. My alarm clock wakes me up
c. My parents or other family members wake me up
d. I need to go to the bathroom
e. I don’t know, I just wake up
f. Other:
5. What time did you go to sleep:
a. Yesterday night (Wednesday)?
b. The night before yesterday (Tuesday)?
c. The night before that (Monday)?
6. During weekdays, what hour do you feel:
Most awake? Most tired?
7. During your daytime activities, how much of a problem do you have with sleepiness (feeling
sleepy, struggling to stay awake)?
a. No problem at all
b. A little problem
c. More than a little problem
d. A big problem
e. A very big problem.
Transportation:

1. How do you get to school? (Please circle all that apply)

a. Walking b. Public transportation c. Driving
2. On average, how much time does it take you to:
a. Travel from home to school each day in minutes?
b. Travel from school to home each day in minutes (include time waiting at school for
transportation)?

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Old Scona Academic Voluntary Sleep Survey

Activities:

On average, how much time do you estimate you spend on the following activities?

Activity Weekdays Weekends

(minutes) (minutes)

Schoolwork (e.g. studying, homework)

Extracurricular activities (e.g. job, volunteering, sports,

band)

Entertainment (e.g. general internet usage, YouTube,

gaming)

Social networking/communications (e.g. Facebook,

MSN)

Other (please specify):

Opinion:

(1 –strongly disagree, 2 – disagree, 3 – neither agree nor disagree, 4 – agree , 5 – strongly agree):

I feel I am getting an adequate amount of sleep each day. 1 2 3 4 5

I feel there is enough time in the day to get everything done. 1 2 3 4 5
I feel my academic performance is affected by the amount of sleep I get. 1 2 3 4 5
I go to sleep around the same time each night. 1 2 3 4 5

(1 – never, 2 – almost never, 3 – sometimes, 4 – fairly often, 5 – very often):

In the last two weeks, how often have you found that you could not cope with all the things you had
to do? 1 2 3 4 5

Regardless of when you actually sleep, what time do you feel is a good bed time?
Regardless of when you actually sleep, how late do you feel a bed time can be without affecting your
next day’s performance?

Stress:

On the average day, my stress level is (please circle one):

(no stress) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (most stress you’ve had in your life so
far)