As a college student, people have different schedules and activities throughout their day which can affect their sleeping pattern.
Sleep is very important because it restores the body’s energy and helps improve thinking skills making you think more clearly and creatively.
According to the University Health Center of Georgia it varies for different people, but most adults need somewhere between 6-10 hours of sleep per night.
College students tend to pull all nighters or stay up late hours causing them to not get enough sleep.
Statics done by brandongaille.com show that 7 out every 10 college students say they get less than the recommended amount of sleep every night.
12 percent of students who don’t get enough sleep every night end up falling asleep in class at least three times per month and during a normal week of college classes, 20 percent of students will pull at least one all-nighter every month.
Nicole Spigner, a pathology major, feels like she doesn’t get enough sleep.
“I get probably six hours of sleep. I try to go to sleep early sometimes but something always comes up and I end up sleeping later than I had planned.”
Dr. Wei-Shin Lai, the founder of SleepPhones says if he had to choose the biggest problem concerning sleep in college students, it’s just that they choose to not sleep.
“There are many reasons for it. Going out to have fun with friends is often more important. Other students over-extend themselves with taking too many credits and participating in too many extracurricular activities.
“A growing percentage of students don’t sleep enough because of their financial circumstances. They have to work 20-40 hours a week just to pay for school.”
Many college students try to get by their many activities on naps. However, ultimately naps are not enough for our body.
Dymond Johnson, broadcasting communications major, says she is constantly pulling an all-nighter.
“I’m always hanging out late with my friends. School wise I sometimes procrastinate and have to stay up all night to make sure I’ve studied enough or finished my homework.”
Not getting enough sleep can take a toll on your body but also your mental health. Some consequences of not getting enough sleep are:
- Illness, such as
colds and flu, due to a lowered immune system - Feeling more stressed out; Decrease in performances
- Increased weight gain and obesity
- Decrease in
academic performance - Increased mental health issues, such as depression and
anxiety
Austin De Medeiros, a sociology major and a Cerritos men soccer team player, always makes sure he gets enough sleep.
“I make sure to get eight or more hours of sleep especially on game days. It’s important to have your body prepared and sleep is a key factor because if you don’t it can really affect how I play on the field and I don’t want to let my team down.”
Not getting enough sleep can take a toll on your body, but sleeping too much can also have an effect.
Sleeping too much may actually be a symptom of depression. At least one in five people suffer from depression at some point in their life.
Students may not understand now, but a lack of motivation in school or in an activity may be due to not enough sleep.
