The Impact of Exam Stress on Slow-Wave Sleep and Brain Wave Patterns in Adolescents

This study investigates the impact of exam stress on the sleep patterns of adolescents, who naturally experience disrupted sleep due to physiological changes. The research aims to identify how exam-related stress influences sleep quality by analyzing brain waves. To achieve this, the brain waves of two adolescents were recorded using a research-grade EEG device called Muse 2. The study mainly focused on the relative power of delta waves (in Bels) and slow-wave sleep (SWS), both of which are necessary for waking up refreshed and restored. The findings revealed that the power of delta waves were affected by exam stress, but other brain waves such as alpha, theta, and beta remained unchanged. This suggests that exam stress primarily impacts deep or SWS in adolescents, leading to a decline in overall sleep quality. To conclude, exam stress exacerbates sleep fragmentation in adolescents by disrupting SWS, which is essential for physical and mental restoration.