Exhausted Minds, Heavy Hearts: Exploring Sleep and Stress among Public College Students

Abstract

Much less studied but no less essential is the issue of student sleep deprivation, a seclusive determinant of the success of work in educational establishments and the quality of life of the population, in the resource-poor regions. This qualitative research is aimed to explore the lived experience of college attendees in minorities in the region, Khushab, of the Punjab province in Pakistan, in order to learn how sleep pattern disturbances can interact with academic pressure, emotional exhaustion, and institutional indifference. Phenomenological methodology was employed in the implementation of in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive selection of study participants (N=12) with the diverse background in academics. Thematic analysis identified three main themes to be: Disrupted Sleep as a Result of Academic Burden, Home Environment and Nighttime Distress and Insensitivity of the institution on the Sleep Health of the Students. The over-scheduled schedules, highly emotional home environments and a lack of sleep discourse or support in colleges were some of the identified sub-themes. The aspect of sleep was discussed by students as being not only a biological requirement but also a psychological escape that was always denied because of systematic and social constraints. Lived experiences reveal the fact that sleep deprivation enhances pre-existing inequalities, cognitive abilities and exacerbates emotional fatigue. The research fills a crucial research gap in literature by giving the voice to students about sleep and stress in a local setting and provides practical and feasible solutions to low-resource education systems. These findings can inform or enlighten decision-makers about the hidden expense of academic requirements and the importance of sleep health as a part of the support structures of an institution.

Keywords: Sleep Deprivation, Academic Stress, Student Well-Being, Qualitative Inquiry, Public Colleges