Sleepiness, performance and mood state in a group of Mexican undergraduate students

The objective of this study was to compare the basic academic activities like reading comprehension and arithmetical operation solution, sleep habits and mood states in two groups of students with different levels of sleepiness. A total of 64 healthy undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico volunteered to participate in the study. The mean age was 20.3 +/- 2.0 years (range 17-25). Students were asked to fill out a Spanish version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Students also completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Beck Depression Inventory. Reading comprehension and mathematical skills are fundamental behaviors for academic performance. Students had to read a brief text and answer five questions related to its content. Mathematical skills were evaluated with five standardized mathematical problems with different degrees of difficulty. Students were also tested with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Subjects were classified as sleepy and non-sleepy according with their ESS score (sleepy students score >= 11 and non-sleepy <= 5). There were no statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics between the sleepy and non-sleepy group. Data show that sleepiness can induce a decrease in basic academic behavior such as mathematical problem solution. Also, the presence of sleepiness was related with a greater negative mood state. These data support the need for a heightened awareness of the negative impact of sleepiness in academic performance of otherwise healthy college students.