Article archive / August 1, 2016
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 8. Source pages: 12.
LaTech’s Dr. Buboltz and Team Study Health Issues, Sleep, and Lifestyle In College Students
Dr. Walter Buboltz and graduate student Nathalie Campsen, along with a team of students at Louisiana Tech Psychology, are working to find out more about how sleep patterns impact college students’ functioning.
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome or DSPS, a circadian rhythm disorder, can cause problems with cognitive abilities. In 2001 Dr. Buboltz and his team found that 11.5 percent of college students experienced problems consistent with DSPS, about twice the rate as that in the general population.
The circadian rhythm disorder includes difficulty falling asleep, problems waking up at a specific time, and morning sleepiness that impairs functioning. Various studies found these problems in college age young adults, and it was confirmed by Buboltz and his team. They also pointed to the related problems with sleep deprivation that causes a reduction in the amount of REM sleep due to shorter sleep periods in students’ lifestyles.
Currently, Dr. Buboltz and his team are looking at a variety of related issues, said LaTech graduate student Nathalie Campsen who is working on the Buboltz laboratory. There are four research assistants working in areas of lifestyle and health, including sleep hygiene, diet, nutrition, stress, and other areas, she explained. Her work is called a Quality Research Project or QRP.
“My QRP is looking at several lifestyle factors of college students and their impact on both sleep quality and sleep length,” she said. “We know that there are certain factors that differentiate a college student from their counterparts who do not attend college. The factors I am specifically looking at are food choice, caffeine consumption, stimulant use––more specifically prescription stimulants–, whether their classes are more in the morning or evening, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and how many hours they reportedly work per week,” she explained.
“I am looking to determine the relationship that such factors have with sleep length and sleep quality.” The data analyses are still in progress, she said.
In a 2009 study, “Sleep Habits and Patterns of College Students: An Expanded Study,” Buboltz and co-authors, pointed to the health conditions associated with sleep difficulties, which include affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse disorders.
They studied 742 undergraduates and found that 66 percent reported occasional problems while 22.6 percent reported symptoms consistent with poor sleep quality. More than 54 percent reported “mostly tired” in the mornings, more than 70 percent reported that sleep during the week was not adequate, and 48 percent reported difficulties during the week such as problems falling asleep (44%), difficulty staying awake (37%), unwanted early morning wakening (56%) and daytime naps (44%).
Currently, Ms. Campsen is working on several projects and her work involves seven different hypotheses. “My current projects are my QRP,” she said, “a supervised project of food choice meal options of college students, and caloric intake of college students and its impact on sleep quality and sleep length.” She is also looking at lifestyle factors, which can include hours of sleep, coffee, alcohol, and other variables, and how these are related to well-being, she explained.
Dr. Buboltz told the Times, “One of the most interesting tracks that we are exploring is the impact of sleep length and quality on food choices and nutrient intake. Data is indicating the amount of calories, fat and other nutrients consumed differs between good and poor sleepers and we are trying to figure out the long term consequences.”
“Second,” he said, “ a major track is the impact of poor sleep quality on cognitive skills. What we are finding is that in the short run, cognitive skills do not diminish and that people can compensate for the lack of sleep but as the task becomes more demanding and longer the performance for poor sleep quality people drops off quicker than the good sleep quality people. Finally, we are looking at the impact of technology on sleep behaviors, such as how cell phone use impacts sleeping and we are finding that chronic texters have poorer sleep quality then limited texters,” said Buboltz.
In the 2009 study, authors recommendations for prevention and education included providing information and education during orientation classes, changing of class times, and strategic scheduling of extracurricular activities. Authors recommended counseling for those with underlying mental health challenges.
“The big issue for the college population is the impact of technology on sleep and then sleeps impact on performance,” Dr. Buboltz said. “Within this area we are also developing treatment approaches that can be effectively employed in the college setting.”
What applications does he see for the future? “We are envisioning understanding how sleep impacts performance in a variety of areas and how companies can alter work environments/schedules or colleges can alter environments and schedules to get the maximum performance. Lastly, we are just starting to look at how sleep and energy drink use go together,” he said.
Ms. Campsen told the Times, “I’ve learned a lot more about sleep than I ever thought I would.” Campsen completed her masters in the Applied Psychology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, during which time she interned at LSU Mental Health Services in Baton Rouge. After she graduated, she spent a year employed at a private practice in Baton Rouge, where she worked as the clinical assistant to Dr. Charles Frey. “I am first generation college student who has stuck with the psychology major since day one of my undergraduate career,” she said.
LaTech graduate student Nathalie Campsen discusses her work with Dr. William Costelloe. Her study, “Exercise and Sleep: Are College Students Getting Enough,” is part of the research program in sleep and health at Dr. Walter Buboltz’ lab at Louisiana Tech. Ms. Campsen presented her work at a recent convention of the Louisiana Psychological Assn.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.