Study: Sleep and stress levels

College students can take many steps in their everyday lives to improve their mental health, one of the main factors is sleep (1).

Poor sleep in college students can impact tension, irritability, depression, confusion, reduced life satisfaction, or poor academic performance (2).

Yet more than 75% of students report getting less than 8 hours of sleep on average on weeknights over the last 2 weeks according to the Fall 2024 ACHA-NCHA IIIb Reference Group consists of 33,763 college students across 48 institutions (3).

A recent study looked at sleep and stress levels (4)

32 college students recorded their daily sleep duration using a wristband for six days and took a survey of stress, resilience, and sleep quality.

What were the results? 

  • Poor sleep quality is associated with greater perceived stress (4)

  • Lack of sleep can make students more vulnerable to stressful situations(4)

  • Insufficient sleep for five consecutive nights can alter the evaluation of neutral and pleasant stimuli, leading to a more negative perception (4)

  • Improving self control impacted the relationship between sleep and stress (4)

What are some caveats?

  • The findings of this study build on another study which showed that sleep deprivation can increase the stress hormone cortisol by up to 21% (5)
  • This is 1 small study and further research is needed.
  • Participants were recruited through convenience sampling, which may introduce selection bias (4)
  • While sleep duration was measured objectively using a Fitbit, and self-reported data  of the study can be subject to inaccuracies due to bias and social desirability bias. (4)

Strategies to manage stress can be found here: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2014/08/15/stress-and-what-to-do-about-it/

Strategies for sleep can be found here: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/12/31/poor-sleep-and-poor-grades-might-go-together/

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By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes.  With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. Patel R. Mental Health For College Students Chapter 7. Sleep strategies to improve mental health.
  2. Buboltz WC Jr, Brown F, Soper B. Sleep habits and patterns of college students: a preliminary study. J Am Coll Health. 2001 Nov;50(3):131-5. doi: 10.1080/07448480109596017. PMID: 11765249.
  3. American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III: Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2024. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2025.
  4. Tafoya SA, Aldrete-Cortez V, Tafoya-Ramos F, Fouilloux-Morales C, Díaz-Olavarrieta C. Sleep and Perceived Stress: An Exploratory Mediation Analysis of the Role of Self-Control and Resilience among University Students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Aug 11;20(16):6560. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20166560. PMID: 37623146; PMCID: PMC10454638.
  5. Lamon S, Morabito A, Arentson-Lantz E, Knowles O, Vincent GE, Condo D, Alexander SE, Garnham A, Paddon-Jones D, Aisbett B. The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiol Rep. 2021 Jan;9(1):e14660. doi: 10.14814/phy2.14660. PMID: 33400856; PMCID: PMC7785053.

Can social media use make you feel irritable?

While technology and social media use can be useful in some ways, research shows that improper use of technology and social media can worsen depression, anxiety, focus, sleep and other mental health symptoms (1).

A previous post discussed how unhealthy ways of using technology can have negative effects on our mental health (2).

A 2025 JAMA study by Perlis and colleagues, looked at social media and irritability (3).

What was the study? (3)

42,597 US adults were surveyed (between November 2023 to Jan 2024) on their use of social media and measures of irritability using a Brief irritability Test (3).

What was the result? (3)

  • 6,037  participants (14.2%) reported using once a day; 16, 678 (39.2%) using multiple times a day; and 10, 610 (24.9%) using most of the day (3).
  • The study found that frequent use of social media was associated with significantly greater irritability. ( Adjusted models (for more than once a day, 0.38 points [95% CI, 0.18-0.58 points]; for most of the day, 1.55 points [95% CI, 1.32-1.78 points]). (3)
  • These associations persisted after incorporating measures of political engagement (3).

What are some caveats?

  • The study accounted for other mental health symptoms, including depression and anxiety (3).
  • This was a correlational study, so does not tell us about cause and effect (3).
  • The association between social media and mood is complex. For example, it has been suggested that some social media platforms may  seek to elicit outrage as a means of increasing engagement (4).
  • The study did not analyze specific social media content (3).
  • The study relied on self-report rather than objective measures.

Some healthy ways of using technology are outlined here: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2020/12/11/593/

By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. Patel R. Mental Health For College StudentsChapter 8. Social Media Technology and mental health, Page 237-289.
  2. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2020/12/11/593/
  3. Perlis RH, Uslu A, Schulman J, Gunning FM, Santillana M, Baum MA, Druckman JN, Ognyanova K, Lazer D. Irritability and Social Media Use in US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 2;8(1):e2452807. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.52807. PMID: 39775809.
  4. Brady  WJ, McLoughlin  K, Doan  TN, Crockett  MJ.  How social learning amplifies moral outrage expression in online social networks.   Sci Adv. 2021;7(33):eabe5641. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe5641
  5. Burke  M, Kraut  RE.  The relationship between Facebook use and well-being depends on communication type and tie strength.   J Comput Mediat Commun. 2016;21(4):265-281. doi:10.1111/jcc4.12162

A simple way to improve resilience, flourishing, and gratitude

Previous post discussed how erratic sleep impacts your grades (1).

A recent study (2) looked sleep and its relationship with resiliency, gratitude, and flourishing.

What was the study? (2)

90 young adults age 18 to 24.

Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions:

  • A naturalistic sleep condition, participants were not given any guidelines on bedtimes or wake times.
  • A sleep restriction condition, participants were instructed to maintain a bedtime of 2:00 AM and a wake time of 7:30 AM.
  • A sleep extension condition, participants were instructed to keep a bedtime of 10:30 PM and wake time of 7:30 AM.
  • Sleep was monitored using an electronic wrist band and a sleep diary.

What were the results? (2)

  • Participants who extended their sleep by 46 minutes a night felt more resilience, gratitude, life satisfaction, and purpose in life.
  • Participants who restricted their sleep by an average of 37 minutes a night experienced drops in mood, resilience, flourishing and gratitude.
  • They also found that these benefits were not fully explained by mood changes.
  • The study also found that well-rested individuals showed increased expressions of gratitude and a more positive social outlook.

What are some ways of improving sleep?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests the following ways to improve sleep (3):

  • Keep a consistent sleep schedule.
  • Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
  • The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep for young adults (5).
  • Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
  • If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed.
  • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
  • Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
  • Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
  • Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
  • Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
  • Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
  • Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
  • Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
  • Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
  • Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

Anything else?

  • This is one study and further research is needed
  • This is a shorter term study and longer term follow up is needed
  • The study does not explore whether 8 hours or more of sleep provides further benefits in young adults
  • The bodies and brains of young adults are still developing, making the importance of adequate sleep even more critical
  • Some people may need to eliminate caffeine or alcohol completely and this is discussed further here (6).
  • Avoid electronics before bedtime (4), if you have to use electronics in the evenings for work deadlines, consider night-mode and or BLUEBLOCKERS.

Consider seeking professional help: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/category/mental-health-treatment-options/

There are many steps you can take in your everyday life to improve your mental health, they are discussed on this blog and here(6).

Enter your email on this blog if you would like to be notified about future posts.

By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/12/31/poor-sleep-and-poor-grades-might-go-together/
  2. Do, A. H., Schnitker, S. A., & Scullin, M. K. (2024). Gratitude, flourishing and prosocial behaviors following experimental sleep restriction and sleep extension. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2394452
  3. http://www.sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits
  4. Hartstein, Lauren E. et al. The impact of screen use on sleep health across the lifespan: A National Sleep Foundation consensus statement. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Volume 10, Issue 4, 373 – 384
  5. Hirshkowitz, Max et al. National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: final report. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Volume 1, Issue 4, 233 – 243
  6. Patel R. Mental Health For College StudentsChapter 15, Page 494-500.