As college students, we are always bombarded with a load of work all at once, and run on little, to no sleep. This seems to occur mostly during midterms and finals week, or a random "hell week" during the semester, when it seems like professors plot against us students, and schedule all exams and have everything due within the same week. I am currently going through one of those random "hell week" and running on 8 hours of sleep since Monday. I am in great need of sleep, and find my self dosing off during lectures and on the bus back home.
It is said that college students are the most sleep deprived. A Research done in 2001 at Brown University was done where they found that approximately 11% of students report good sleep, while 73% report sleep problems. In the study, students reported that the top reasons preventing them from sleep included: dorm noise, socializing with roommates, schoolwork, and personal health issues. Sleep is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle. Not doing so will hinder the ability for our brains to function properly,and our body to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Sleep deprivation can affect important aspects of your mind and body such as your mood, energy, ability to learn, memory, good judgment, reaction time and efficiency.
Three advice on helping you sleep better is: stop all usage of technology 30 min prior to bed, yes this includes cell phones. The light block melatonin which can help you fall asleep. A 30 min wind down with relaxation and reading can make it easier to fall asleep. The second advice is no caffeine after 3:00 PM. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants, which disrupt sleep, so if you feel like you need a drink in order to boost up your energy, try a small energy booster snack or drink. The last advice would be to sleep only an hour longer during the weekend than you usually would on your latest weekday wake-up time. Therefore, don't rely on the weekend to catch up on sleep but this only worsens your sleep pattern. The best solution is to get a regular amount of sleep as many nights as possible.
Posted By: Barbara Afogho (Group A)
I think this is a very important thing to post about, as I am positive that most students suffer from this. I experienced this as well or a long time, but recently I realized that a goodnight sleep is just as essential to success in college as studying. Now that I get enough rest, I can't imagine going back to the way I used to abuse my sleeping pattern. I do much better on exams and am in general just a happier, more relaxed person. Good job!
ReplyDeleteErika Nevins
I can certainly relate to this post, as I often feel that I don't get the proper amount of sleep my body needs to function properly. I'm curious though, does it take your body a certain amount of time to recover from sleep deprivation?
ReplyDeleteDavid Rains,
Yes, most people think that they can just use the weekend to catch up but that usually wont work. You may feel great on Monday but once tuesday comes around you're back at square one.
Delete-Barbara
Great tips for the average college student, I know I need them. I especially like the tip about sleeping on weekends. I always use them to catch up on lost hours during the week. I'm going to try to see how a more regulated sleep schedule can help my system.
ReplyDelete-Dan Staiculescu
This is definitely a post we can all relate to. My research team actually does some work with children and naps and from the data it is clear the types of implications sleep can have on cognition and memory. I liked how you concluded with some advice as well.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Okpoebo
Definitely I post I could relate to my life and this week! Sleep is always the first thing I sacrifice when I'm stressed or studying, and it's good to remind myself once in a while of how important it is for a student's success and well-being. What are some long-term health consequences that chronic sleep deprivation can have? Thanks!
ReplyDelete-Rebecca Quirie
Long-term effects include obesity, insulin resistance, and heart disease
Delete-Barbara
Technology certainly makes it harder to get a good night sleep. I can't count how many times I've just been doing something online, looked at the clock and realized that its a lot later than I thought. I've tried setting computer and phone "curfews" for myself during the school week but following them is not easy. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm addicted to my phone. However, sleep is just as important as diet and exercise to maintaining a healthy lifestyle so I'll keep trying.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm definitely lacking when it comes to the sleep department during the week. I've tried to tell myself I'll wake up at the same time every day, but I just never follow through. I know one reason for me in particular about my late night habits is that the late night is where I finally get my free time.
ReplyDelete~Mitch
While it’s not surprising to here that college students suffer from sleep depravation it is sad to say that I can definitely relate. Everything that was listed in the second paragraph about the issues that causes students to either loose sleep or having sleeping problems I can agree with. Living in the dorms definitely didn’t help my sleeping patterns as well as certain weeks where I am piled with so much homework or studying to do for exams. I was glad to hear there are ways to help these issues, including using less technology before bed and such. I have tried to put away my phone at least 30 min before I try to fall asleep and it does help. Great post!
ReplyDeletePosted By Stephanie Aboody