Does sleep deprivation affect the academic performance of college students? Literature review The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sleep as the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the body's forces are restored (sleep. 2016. In Merriam-Webster.com.). Sleep is an essential biological function with important roles in recovery, energy conservation, and survival. Sleep also appears to be important for vital functions such as neural development, learning, memory, emotional regulation, cardiovascular and metabolic function, and the removal of cellular toxins. It has been said that we spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Rat studies have been conducted in which total sleep deprivation leads to death within 3 weeks (Mukherjee, Sutapa; The college experience is of great value in providing emerging adults with a structured environment in which they can gain knowledge, skills, and independence to chart your own path, successfully obtain employment, and contribute to society. However, this experience comes at a high cost to maximizing success in college drowsiness is caused by a variety of reasons and has numerous negative consequences. Sleep deprivation is often called acute sleep deprivation or chronic partial sleep deprivation ,” meaning a person stays awake for 24 hours or 24 hours. More typically, sleep deprivation consists of chronic partial sleep deprivation, in which a student gets some sleep, but not adequate sleep. Drowsiness can be an obvious consequence of sleep deprivation (Hershner, S., & Chervin, R. (2014)). Daytime sleepiness, a consequence of poor sleep quality, can seriously compromise students' cognitive functioning and behavioral performance (Curcio, Ferrara, De Gennaro 2006). Sufficient sleep is necessary for one's mental and physical state, cognitive restoration, processing, learning and memory consolidation. Much research has shown that even sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation and poor sleep patterns affect cognitive and motor processes, as well as emotional stability (Pilcher & Huffcutt, 1996). Because sleep affects cognitive functioning, sleep quantity should be a major concern for college students, for whom academic performance is a priority. There have been many studies linking “unhealthy sleep habits” with decreased cognitive functioning and academic performance. Pilcher and Huffcutt (1996) performed a meta-analysis of existing studies regarding sleep deprivation and its effects on various daytime functions. They define partial sleep deprivation as sleeping fewer than five hours per night, short-term total sleep deprivation as a period of sleep inactivity lasting less than or equal to 45 hours, and long-term total sleep deprivation as a period of sleeplessness. sleep lasting more than 45 hours. Partial sleep deprivation is linked to decreased cognitive functioning, whereas long-term sleep deprivation is associated with mood disorders (Pilcher & Huffcutt, 1996). Drowsiness and irregular sleep schedules have many unintended consequences, one of which is having a negative impact on learning, memory and performance. Some types of memory depend on specific sleep states, such that the)