ES2007S- Professional Communication

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Potential Research Topic

After reading an article about lack of sleep being a common problem among college students in the United States, I wonder if it spells true for NUS students too. In Singapore, official statistic showed that teenagers in Singapore are not getting enough sleep. Results from surveys and polls showed that the problem here was worse than in America. While about 9 per cent of American teenagers (aged 14 to 17) had at least 9 hours of sleep, only 2.6 per cent of Singaporean teenagers did so.

Apparently the importance of sleep is not well appreciated here. In NUS, students falling asleep in lectures are a common sight. How many times have we heard fellow schoolmates around us complaining that they are very tired and lethargic? More often than not, it’s the rushing of lab reports, projects, tutorials and tests the night before. The recommended hours of sleep time for the average adult is seven to eight hours. Not many are aware of the consequences that sleep deprivation can bring. The lack of sleep can in fact affect one’s intellectual performance, alertness, vigilance and many other problems. Hence, I would like to research on the average number of sleep hours that NUS Science undergraduates had per night. Research can include the activities that have occupied students’ sleep hours and their level of awareness about the problems of sleep deprivation. The general research question will be “Are NUS Science undergraduates having enough sleep and are they aware of the associated problems to lack of sleep? ”

A survey is needed to determine the average number of sleep hours that NUS Science undergraduates are having and the activities that have taken up their sleeping time. The latter is important, as it is crucial in identifying the causes and in deciding possible solutions for the problem. Survey can also help to identify students’ degree of awareness on the problems of lack of sleep.

posted by Elaine Lim at 12:16 AM

5 Comments:

  • Hi Elaine,

    I acknowledge that the motivation for the research topic is valid. Sleep deprivation had been a very popular research topic that have dominated scientific journals over the past decade. The results of such studies however, are limited to their original publication and "Did you know?" sections of lifestyle magazines.

    While much research has been done on it, public awareness is limited. However, I believe that for such a attitudinal survey to be successful, implementation must be carried out. Though it was not included in your post, the survey results can be submitted to the Science Dean's Office, UHWC University Health and Wellness Centre) and also the Office of Student Affairs. With sufficient information, relevant recommendations can be posed to the authorities.

    Cheers!

    By Blogger Unknown, At September 7, 2008 at 10:23 AM  

  • Hi Elaine,

    Truly, being sleep deprived is a common trait among students and even working adults. The link between sleep and health or performance validates the importance of this research topic. If a lack of sleep would affect mental functions, students do really need to take note of it.

    A survey could be done to know the lifestyles of such students. It is likely that they are unaware of the sleep debt they are accumulating, thus they keep doing so. They could then be educated of the importance of sleep and time management.

    By Blogger Unknown, At September 8, 2008 at 10:01 PM  

  • Hi Elaine,

    I feel that this topic is very relevant to us! I think it is feasible as many studies have shown that many students in Singapore are not getting enough sleep. Thus, it would be beneficial to the students by raising their awareness of importance of sleep so that they can adjust their lifestyle to get sufficient sleep. Otherwise, the lack of sleep could be detrimental to health, as shown by many studies.

    By Blogger Sabrina He, At September 9, 2008 at 1:17 AM  

  • Hi Elaine,

    This is a very relevant topic, as it concerns most of us. A nocturnal lifestyle is very well adopted by many NUS students. Even when one is not occupied with work, supper or late night movies can also bring about sleep deprivation.

    Such a survey is easily carried out as the amount of sleeptime is easily quantified. Furthermore, awareness can be easily raised, either through health fairs organised by University Health and Wellness Centre, or as a health topic raised in school publication. Just like the "Saving the Earth" initiative, where participants are urged to switch off the lights for an hour at a particular time, perhaps we could have a "Let's have sufficient sleep" night, where all students are urged to rest early for that night.

    By Blogger daniel, At September 9, 2008 at 1:54 AM  

  • Hey,

    I think this is an interesting topic to look into. However, i think you should design a survey that looks into not only the number of hours of sleep but also the lifestyle and the habits of the students. This is so as to draw some form of correlation between two and to look into how this can affect say, their health.

    By doing so, it is also possible to bring it up to the students' union and probably cut the work load face by students nowadays, which could be the main reason why students are lacking in sleep, and hence, affecting their health, for example.

    Eugene

    By Blogger free84dom, At September 9, 2008 at 12:45 PM  

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