BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – University of Vermont researchers have published a new study linking sleep loss among college students to higher stress.
The study published last week in PLOS Digital Health looked at more than 600 undergraduate students during their first semester. They wore special rings that helped measure things like respiratory rate, oxygen levels, and heart rate. Less sleep corresponded to higher stress among those students.
The researchers hope the wearable technology will help them figure out which people are most at risk for mental and physical health issues and target interventions to fit them over the long term. “There is an ongoing crisis of mental health, particularly in young adults, and being able to identify who is experiencing stress and mental distress is a high priority for being able to target interventions that help individuals with stress and other mental health concerns,” said Laura Bloomfield, the study’s author.
They say the wearable technology is also more effective than doing surveys because it provides more continuous data over a longer period and is more reliable.