LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN

PIDDIG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ON THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP

RESTRICTIONS

A Quantitative Research Proposal Presented

to the Junior High School Department
of Piddig National High School
Piddig, Ilocos Norte

by

Cuaresma, Angellie Rose B.

Dapilan, Kian Angelo A.
Guya, Mar Jovi V.
Idica, Danielle Marie A.
Quidilla, Mark Justine S.
Valdez, Lovely J.

April 2023
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM: RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

This chapter presents the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the
delimination of the study, the review of related literature, the theoretical framework, and the
conceptual framework.

Background of the Study

The importance of sleep has been recognized by researchers as a crucial aspect of health
and development. However, recent studies have shown that teenagers may be at risk for sleep
deprivation due to a variety of factors, including academic and social pressures, technology use, and
biological changes during adolescence (National Sleep Foundation, n.d.). This has led to concerns
about the impact of sleep deprivation on academic achievement, mental health, and overall well-
being.

Despite these findings, many high school students continue to experience sleep
deprivation. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that
only 15% of high school students report getting the recommended 8.5 hours of sleep on school
nights (Wheaton et al., 2018). This highlights the need for increased awareness and education about
the importance of sleep among teenagers.

In particular, senior high school students may be at greater risk for sleep deprivation due to
the demands of college preparation and extracurricular activities. One study published in the Journal
of Sleep Research found that senior high school students had significantly shorter sleep durations
than junior high school students (Li et al., 2020).

Therefore, there is a pressing need to raise awareness among senior high school students
about the importance of sleep and the potential negative consequences of sleep deprivation. This can
be achieved through educational campaigns, school policies promoting healthy sleep habits, and
support from parents and caregivers. Ultimately, addressing sleep deprivation among teenagers can
have a significant impact on their academic success and overall well-being. Having this in mind, the
researchers would like to evaluate the level of awareness among senior high school students in
Piddig National High School.
Statement of the Problem

“Level of Awareness of Senior High School Students in Piddig National High School on Effects of

Sleep Restrictions”

Research Questions:

1. Is there a statistically significant difference on the level of awareness of senior high school
students in Piddig National High Schools?

2. Does the level of awareness of senior high school students vary with respect to age?

3. Does the level of awareness of senior high school students vary with respect to gender?

Delimination of the Study

This study is only limited in determining the level of awareness of senior high school
students in Piddig National High School and knowing whether there is a significant difference on the
levels of awareness of these respondents when classified according to strand and gender .

The Descriptive-Survey Research method is employed in the study. This study will seek
information from randomly selected senior high school students of Piddig National High School
using researches made questionnaire and determine their level of awareness.

Review of Related Literature

Sleep restriction has long been thought to be a benign phenomenon, relative to sleep
deprivation (Banks & Dinges, 2007; Dinges et al., 1997; Short & Banks, 2014). This assumption in
part stems from previous literature that failed to incorporate adequate methodological considerations
required in sleep restriction research (Banks & Dinges, 2007), thus leading to the belief that sleep
restriction produces little adverse effects (Short & Banks, 2014). Conceivably, this assumption may
also stem from the reported phenomenon in which sleep restricted individuals underreport and lack
insight into the negative effects they experience as a result of their reduced sleep duration (Banks &
Dinges, 2007; Short & Banks, 2014). Meaning, sleep restricted individuals tend to underreport and
not accurately pinpoint areas of their functioning that may be harmed by chronic sleep restriction. In
addition, sleep restriction has increasingly become a characteristic feature of modern society
(Luyster et al., 2012) and may thus be viewed as a normalized experience, possibly leading
individuals to discount the negative impacts that the restricted sleep habits may have.

Increasing amounts of research however, are documenting the deleterious effects that sleep
restriction poses for one’s health and wellbeing. For instance, Banks and Dinges (2007) reported that
short-term sleep restriction, as defined by restricting one’s sleep to four hours per night for a span of
six nights, is associated with marked physiological changes, such as reduced glucose intolerance,
elevated blood pressure and inflammatory markers, increased activation of the sympathetic nervous
system and reduced leptin levels. Furthermore, they also reported a relationship between sleep
restriction and weight gain (and possibly obesity) – a relationship primarily mediated by appetite-
regulating hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin (Banks & Dinges, 2007). Moreover, sleep restriction
results in elevated markers of inflammation, including IL-6 and TNF-alpha, having consequences in
the form of insulin-resistance, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease (Banks & Dinges, 2007). In
terms of the psychological consequences, they found ensuing mood disturbances in the form of
sleepiness, confusion, and fatigue, and in terms of the neurocognitive consequences, detailed a
reduction in psychomotor vigilance and slowed working memory (Banks & Dinges, 2007). Finally,
the summation of physiological, psychological, and neurocognitive deficits resulting from sleep
restriction enhance the risk of motor vehicle accidents and death (Banks & Dinges, 2007).

Moreover, sleep restriction results in elevated markers of inflammation, including IL-6 and
TNF-alpha, having consequences in the form of insulin-resistance, osteoporosis and cardiovascular
disease (Banks & Dinges, 2007). In terms of the psychological consequences, they found ensuing
mood disturbances in the form of sleepiness, confusion, and fatigue, and in terms of the
neurocognitive consequences, detailed a reduction in psychomotor vigilance and slowed working
memory (Banks & Dinges, 2007). Finally, the summation of physiological, psychological, and
neurocognitive deficits resulting from sleep restriction enhance the risk of motor vehicle accidents
and death (Banks & Dinges, 2007).

Luyster and colleagues (2012) echo similar warnings with respect to the deleterious effects
associated with sleep restriction. Broadly speaking, they state that individuals encounter the greatest
risks in the realms of cardiovascular and metabolic functioning and develop increased vulnerability
for developing cancer and/or being involved in a motor vehicle accident. More specifically, they
posit that short sleep duration is associated with increased risk of cerebrovascular accidents,
particularly of an ischemic nature, as well as myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis.
Metabolically, they described an emerging trend in behavioral sleep medicine to hypothesize an
inverse relationship between habitual number of hours slept and one’s body mass index, obesity, and
risk of developing type 2 diabetes. With respect to the link between short sleep duration and cancer,
Luyster et al., (2012) indicated that individuals routinely having short sleep durations are at an
increased risk of developing breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Finally, and similar to Banks and
Dinges’ (2007) stance, Luyster and colleagues (2012) indicated that “sleep deprivation results in
impairments in cognitive and motor performance that are comparable to those induced by alcohol
consumption at or above the legal limit” (p. 731). While referring to sleep deprivation and not
restriction, it stands to reason that chronically achieving fewer hours of sleep than is needed and
experiencing feelings of sleepiness has implications for one’s cognitive and motor performance as
well. Importantly, it is estimated that approximately 20% of motor vehicle accidents are attributable
to impaired driving as a result of sleepiness (Luyster et al., 2012).

Suarez (2008) went a step further and provided intriguing evidence that many of the links
between short sleep duration and reduced health may be mediated by one’s gender. In other words, it
was found that there are gender-specific associations when it comes to sleep restriction and ensuing
consequences for one’s health. For example, increased sleep latency, and reduced self-reported sleep
quality – measures of poor sleep hygiene, were associated with elevated psychosocial distress,
fasting insulin, fibrinogen and inflammatory biomarkers, but only amongst the women in the study
(Suarez, 2008). The author reasoned that these findings may be partially explicated by the gender-
related differences that have been observed with a variety of neurochemicals, including tryptophan,
serotonin, and melatonin (Suarez, 2008). More specifically, these neurochemicals play a role in
sleep, sleep onset, as well as biological and psychological processes including mood regulation,
inflammation, thrombogenesis, and eating, and may exert differential effects when it comes to
women’s sleep patterns. Of importance, is the notion that women differ in their hormonal
composition and vulnerability to the negative effects of sleep restriction, thus adding weight to the
importance of partialing out gender in research paradigms of behavioral sleep medicine.

Broadly speaking, the negative outcomes that individuals encounter as a result of sleep
restriction have biological, psychological, or neurocognitive consequences. Given that sleep is a
behavior that uniformly takes place across the animal kingdom, that it is encoded in our genes, and
that it is necessary for our survival (Luyster et al., 2012), it stands to reason that restricted amount of
sleep have the potential to produce profound deficits in one’s health and wellbeing. As indicated, the
current study will attempt to explore the biological, psychological, and neurocognitive consequences
of sleep that is either naturally restricted or experimentally restricted amongst a sample of women.
Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework for level of awareness of senior high school students on
the effects of sleep restrictions with citations. The theoretical framework for level of
awareness of senior high school students on the effects of sleep restrictions can be based on
the cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT) and the health belief model (HBM).

According to CBT, behaviors and attitudes are influenced by the individual's

thoughts and beliefs. Therefore, a person's level of awareness regarding the effects of sleep
restrictions can be influenced by their beliefs about the importance of sleep and its effects on
their health and well-being (Lichstein et al., 2008). In this case, senior high school students
awareness regarding the effects of sleep restriction can be influenced by their beliefs about
the importance of sleep, the consequences of sleep deprivation, and the benefits of getting
enough sleep. On the other hand, HBM suggests that individuals health behaviors are
determined by their perceived susceptibility to the health problem, the severity of the
consequences of the health problem, the benefits of taking preventive action, and the
barriers to taking preventive action (Rosenstock, 1974). In this framework, senior high
school students' level of awareness regarding the effects of sleep restriction can be
influenced by their perceived susceptibility to the negative effects of sleep restriction, the
severity of these effects, the benefits of getting enough sleep, and the barriers to getting
enough sleep.
Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

AGE

Level of Awareness of Senior High

School Students

STRAND