The young and the restless: Socializing trumps sleep, fear of missing out, and technological distractions in first-year college students

Sue K. Adams, University of Rhode Island
Desirée N. Williford, University of Rhode Island
Annemarie Vaccaro, University of Rhode Island
Tiffani S. Kisler, University of Rhode Island
Alyssa Francis, University of Rhode Island
Barbara M. Newman, University of Rhode Island

Abstract

College students are a sleep-deprived population, with first-year students facing a number of specific challenges to sleep. As students transition into and through the first year of college, sleep may be sacrificed for a variety of reasons. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen first-year students, exploring factors that impacted sleep during the first semester of college. Study participants identified three unique but related themes that impacted their sleep: socializing trumps sleep; fear of missing out; and social/technological distractions. Implications are provided for balancing social, academic and biological demands in emerging adulthood.