2008 Woodie Awards
Getting A's and B's, but not Z's: College students get less sleep, study finds
Lindsey Ramdin, Reporter
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News
With the combination of midterms and spring break excitement, some students may be experiencing an increasingly close relationship with the snooze button. College students may well be the group in most need of some serious snooze time this National Sleep Awareness week, which runs until Saturday.
According to a study done at Brown University, college students are among the most sleep-deprived people in the country. This may be due to the irregularity of their sleeping habits. Only 11 percent of college students have good sleep quality, and 73 percent have occasional sleep problems.
Some students at Youngstown State University fit the statistic of restless students, while others, like junior Kyle Hoffman, are getting just as much sleep as they need. Hoffman averages the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, enabling him to make it through his long school day comfortably.
The National Sleep Foundation suggests getting eight hours of sleep each night, allowing the brain to go through all the processes that help make learning easier.
However, actually achieving this could prove difficult. Academic and non-academic stressors such as midterms and jobs, and the promise of summer can make winding down at bedtime impossible.
Junior Brad Susany seems to have a healthy sleep schedule, usually sleeping 8 to 9 hours per night. Susany said now that he is older his sleeping habits have improved.
"I used to be able to survive on five hours of sleep a night", he said.
"Now I realize that if I schedule classes later in the day I get more sleep and feel more refreshed, having reached my peak level of sleep before class."
One common misconception students have is that they feel they can go without sleep during the week and just play catch-up on the weekends.
RANK Joseph Testerman said he doesn't feel that he has enough time to sleep during the week.
"The weekend is the only time I can catch up on my sleep," Testerman said.
"If I worked on the weekend, I'm not sure I could continue with my sleeping patterns as they exist now," he said.
Unfortunately, this is only a short-term solution. According to the National Sleep Foundation, frequently sleeping in low amounts can create "sleep debt" that can be hard to rectify. Sleep deprivation also has been linked to obesity, negative mood and actions, and safety issues linked to drowsiness.
Sleep well
Tips from the National Sleep Awareness Organization
• Sleep and wake at regular hours every day
• Relax before bedtime
• Use the bed for sleep and sex, not work
• Avoid caffeine and in the afternoon, and nicotine, another stimulant, right before bed
• Exercise daily, but not right before bed
• Avoid drinking before bed, as it can cause you to wake in the night
Make your sleep environment:
1. dark
2. quiet
3. comfortable
4. cool
Information from http://www.sleepfoundation.org
According to a study done at Brown University, college students are among the most sleep-deprived people in the country. This may be due to the irregularity of their sleeping habits. Only 11 percent of college students have good sleep quality, and 73 percent have occasional sleep problems.
Some students at Youngstown State University fit the statistic of restless students, while others, like junior Kyle Hoffman, are getting just as much sleep as they need. Hoffman averages the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, enabling him to make it through his long school day comfortably.
The National Sleep Foundation suggests getting eight hours of sleep each night, allowing the brain to go through all the processes that help make learning easier.
However, actually achieving this could prove difficult. Academic and non-academic stressors such as midterms and jobs, and the promise of summer can make winding down at bedtime impossible.
Junior Brad Susany seems to have a healthy sleep schedule, usually sleeping 8 to 9 hours per night. Susany said now that he is older his sleeping habits have improved.
"I used to be able to survive on five hours of sleep a night", he said.
"Now I realize that if I schedule classes later in the day I get more sleep and feel more refreshed, having reached my peak level of sleep before class."
One common misconception students have is that they feel they can go without sleep during the week and just play catch-up on the weekends.
RANK Joseph Testerman said he doesn't feel that he has enough time to sleep during the week.
"The weekend is the only time I can catch up on my sleep," Testerman said.
"If I worked on the weekend, I'm not sure I could continue with my sleeping patterns as they exist now," he said.
Unfortunately, this is only a short-term solution. According to the National Sleep Foundation, frequently sleeping in low amounts can create "sleep debt" that can be hard to rectify. Sleep deprivation also has been linked to obesity, negative mood and actions, and safety issues linked to drowsiness.
Sleep well
Tips from the National Sleep Awareness Organization
• Sleep and wake at regular hours every day
• Relax before bedtime
• Use the bed for sleep and sex, not work
• Avoid caffeine and in the afternoon, and nicotine, another stimulant, right before bed
• Exercise daily, but not right before bed
• Avoid drinking before bed, as it can cause you to wake in the night
Make your sleep environment:
1. dark
2. quiet
3. comfortable
4. cool
Information from http://www.sleepfoundation.org
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
t stanley
posted 3/07/08 @ 10:21 PM EST
For better sleep checkout http://www.blackoutez.com. They make a window cover that completely darkens the room. It is great for those who work the night shift, people who nap during the day or for those bothered by street lamps at night. (Continued…)
Paul T
Paul
posted 3/09/08 @ 1:33 AM EST
As noted in the article, the National Sleep Foundation recommends a sleep environment that is dark, quiet comfortable and cool. At www.thecompletesleeper. (Continued…)
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