0252 Sleep Hygiene Education Intervention: Psychological and Physiological Associations with Sleep in College Students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction College students tend to struggle with managing healthy sleep habits; these unhealthy behaviors can lead to poor sleep and impact their overall mental and physical health. More specifically, sleep is intimately connected to psychological and physiological factors such as anxiety, depression, and blood pressure. The focus of the current study was to examine habitual sleep habits in college students, provide a brief educational intervention, and investigate potential changes in psychological and physiological health. Methods Participants included 14 undergraduate students (6 men, average age M=20.64 years, SD=2.13) who wore wrist actigraphs to measure their typical sleep habits. After one week, participants completed questionnaires about sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS), fatigue (Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale, MAF), and psychological symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress; Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, DASS-21). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured using a wrist device. Subjects participated in a short lecture about healthy sleep hygiene habits and the importance of sleep and then repeated the one-week observational study. Results Paired sample t-tests revealed a significant increase from baseline average sleep duration (M=5.83 hours) to post-intervention sleep duration (6.64 hours; t(13)=-2.532, p=.013). Sleep efficiency (actigraphy) and quality (PSQI) did not improve significantly. ESS scores decreased significantly (t(13)=3.76, p=.002 (pre M=9.29; post M=5.43) and MAF scores decreased significantly (t(13)=2.19, p=.047 (pre M=20.48; post M=15.60). No significant differences were found in depressive, anxiety, or stress symptoms when comparing DASS-21 scores pre- vs post-intervention. Baseline systolic blood pressure (M=114.88) significantly decreased compared to post-intervention recordings (M=108.21). Diastolic blood pressure and heart rate did not differ significantly. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that one educational lecture about sleep hygiene may be a start to improving sleep in college students. Even a 48-minute increase resulted in decreased sleepiness and fatigue. However, no improvements were found in sleep quality or efficiency. Although a slight improvement was found in systolic blood pressure, no other physiological or psychological benefits were noted. More research should be conducted on how to improve sleep habits in college students beyond an educational approach. Support (If Any) None.