Humans are said to spend a third of their lives sleeping, but that figure may be decreasing among college students as they are forced to juggle school, work and play.

A study published in the “Journal of American College Health” in May 2008 determined many college students in the U.S. have sleep problems that impact their daily performance, including driving and academics. The study showed students sleep, on average, 6.8 hours each night, although many sleep much less. A recent study by Brown University found only 11 percent of college students get the recommended amount of sleep at night.

According to the NorthStar Medical Specialists of Bellingham’s Sleep Disorders Center Web site, more than 80 sleeping disorders exist, affecting one in four people.

Sleep deprivation is a concern for many Americans, said Dr. Kelvin Lam, an internal medicine physician at Madrona Medical Group in Bellingham.

“We don’t value sleep and sacrifice it at the expense of other activities,” Lam said.

People need between seven and eight hours of sleep every night, although it varies for each individual and is defined by the amount of sleep it takes to wake up and feel refreshed, Lam said.

Western junior Anna Daniell said she gets an average of six hours of sleep each night and has trouble waking up in the morning.

“If I’ve been active in the day I’m usually able to go to sleep better, but most of my day is just sitting in a classroom, so I don’t get to sleep well,” Daniell said.

Western sophomore John Misasi said he gets seven hours of sleep on most nights but thinks college students in general do not get the sleep they need.

When people get enough sleep, they are able to function and maintain alertness, Lam said.

Daniell said she feels exhausted and cranky if she doesn’t get enough sleep, and although she might have a sudden burst of energy she’ll often crash soon after.

According to Brown University's study, sleep debts result from getting too little sleep over a period of several nights and can lead to decreased daily function.

Lam said there are several ways to avoid sleep debt and the side effects of sleep deprivation, which include decreased learning ability, increased risk of car accidents and an increased chance of making risky decisions.

“If you’re sleep deprived for 16 to 18 hours, it is as if your blood alcohol level is 0.05,” Lam said. “At 20 hours, it’s equivalent to 0.1. As you become more sleep deprived, the effect is greater and you become more impaired.”
Daniell said she has driven a couple times when she has felt too tired.

“It’s freaky,” Daniell said. “I noticed I was really tired but I had to get where I was going. I had to stop at a rest stop once for 20 minutes. I could tell I was nodding off.”

The same study by Brown University found accidents involving tired drivers cause more than 40,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths each year.

“I’ve driven when I’ve been too tired before,” Misasi said. “Sometimes you’ll start nodding off and wake yourself up because it scares you.”

Lam said the best way to avoid the side effects of sleep debt is to have a regular sleep schedule—to wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day as much as possible.

But between work, class and activity schedules, many students are unable to develop regular sleeping patterns.  
Daniell said she tries to follow a sleep schedule but having classes starting at different times each day makes it difficult. Although she doesn’t rely on coffee or energy drinks for a boost, she does take naps when she needs them, she said.

“If I don’t get enough sleep at night, I’ll make up for it during the day if I can,” Daniell said.

According to Western’s counseling center’s online “Strategies to Help You Sleep,” napping can do more harm than good by further throwing off your biological clock. If it’s absolutely necessary, naps should be taken before 3 p.m. and should not exceed an hour. Even after a night of little sleep, the counseling center advises that the best thing to do is nothing—to let your natural sleep regulator correct itself.

Western junior Jinalyn Liljedahl said even though she gets approximately seven hours of sleep each night, she still needs coffee or an energy drink to feel awake during the day. Without the added caffeine boost, Liljedahl said she often feels spacey and has trouble focusing.

“I usually don’t fall asleep in class but it’s tempting,” Liljedahl said. “Every day I see at least one person dozing off.”

While morning coffee may seem like the answer to up-late-the-night-before grogginess, excessive caffeine can actually lead to interrupted sleep. Lam said caffeine may not be the best solution to sleeping problems.
“Students experiencing trouble sleeping should reduce their intake of caffeine, avoid alcohol close to bedtime, exercise regularly and create a good sleeping environment that is quiet, dark and cold,” Lam said.

As outlined by “Strategies to Help You Sleep”, exhaustion usually overrides the brain after a few sleepless nights but one should trust his or her body to eventually take charge and lead you back to a solid night’s sleep.

For students with persistent sleeping problems, Lam said it is important to seek a sleep specialist to test for possible medical conditions. More information on sleep strategies can be found on the counseling center’s Web site under “self-help resources.”

Be first to comment on this article

Only registered users can post comments.
Please login or register.