Graduate Program

School Psychology

Degree Name

Specialist in School Psychology

Semester of Degree Completion

2016

Thesis Director

Margaret T. Floress

Abstract

The current study expands upon existing sleep research by assessing adolescent caffeine consumption and technology use around bedtime and group differences in caffeine consumption and technology use in regard to sleep onset time, duration and quality, as well as symptoms of delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Participants, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years, were recruited from two Midwestern high schools and one junior high school. Online survey software was used to capture adolescents' self-reported caffeine consumption, technology use, and sleep. Adolescents who drank more caffeine did not spend significantly more time using technology at night, nor did they report significantly more sleep problems. However, students who spent more time using technology reported significantly less sleep than those who spent less time using technology. Students with a parent-set bedtime reported significantly longer sleep duration than students without a parent-set bedtime and students who used technology in their bedroom spent more time using it after 9 p.m. than students who used it elsewhere. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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