Exploring the association between cognitive abilities, well-being and student hypersomnolence.

Abstract

Hypersomnolence is associated with morbidity and quality of life as well as decreased academic outcomes for students. As such, current work will explore these associations of hypersomnolence within a student population. Firstly, by exploring the relationship between hypersomnolence and cognitive abilities and secondly by examining the association between hypersomnolence and well-being outcomes. Initially, Study 1 aimed to determine the prevalence of hypersomnolence within students by comparing somnolence and hypersomnolence in a non-student and student sample. Findings from Study 1 suggest that students report higher levels of somnolence than non-students, but not hypersomnolence. However, students report similarly high levels of hypersomnolence as the non-student population. Thus, the current work continued to investigate hypersomnolence and cognitive abilities within a student sample. Study 2 examined hypersomnolence and attention using an online sustained attention reaction time task (SART). The findings suggested that reaction time and error rate were not predicted by hypersomnolence or somnolence. Study 3 provided further nuance to these findings by considering selective attention alongside hypersomnolence, with findings suggesting that hypersomnolence and somnolence did not predict image recognition. Next, to further the relationship between hypersomnolence and cognitive abilities, Study 4examined hypersomnolence and semantic affect. In Study 4, hypersomnolence, somnolence and sleep duration were found to predict semantic affect. Study 5 furthered this by highlighting the link between emotional intelligence and hypersomnolence, with findings demonstrating that hypersomnolence and somnolence predicted the ability to manage emotions in oneself and others. Additionally, the current thesis highlights the relationship between hypersomnolence and student well-being through study 6 and 7. Study 6 investigated hypersomnolence, somnolence, and social well-being within students. Study 6 demonstrated that hypersomnolence and somnolence predicted feelings of loneliness but not social connectedness. Furthermore, Study 7 built on this finding and examined social and psychological well-being. Study 7 utilised self-report measures and overnight actigraphy to record a night of sleep for student participants. Findings suggested that social well-being and psychological well-being were predicted by hypersomnolence and night-time arousals. Finally, Study 8 explored self-determination theory and student hypersomnolence with findings highlighting that somnolence is associated with control causality orientations, whereas hypersomnolence is associated with autonomous causality orientations in students. The findings of this thesis indicate that students have a unique experience of hypersomnolence that is associated with poorer cognition, well-being, and motivation. Thus, advocating for future research to focus on the influence of hypersomnolence on student life.

Date of Award	Sept 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Dr Abbie Millett (Supervisor)