For college students who strive to excel at school but still want a lively social life, you pretty much have to give up any semblance of a normal sleep schedule (especially if you’re a senior).
Recent studies have suggested as many as 70 percent of college students are sleep deprived, according to research from the College Student Journal.
Lisa Viator, director of clinical services at Texas Tech University, said she sees students who are experiencing sleep problems every day — several times per day.
According to the Student Counseling Center’s online sleep workshop, which is provided for Tech students and recommended by Viator, the quality and amount of sleep people get is just as vital to a person’s health and well-being as diet and exercise, and college-aged adults typically need seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Students may be especially in need of a good night’s sleep.
A lack of quality sleep can significantly affect students’ physical and cognitive functioning, particularly in terms of information processing as well as difficulties with concentration and recall, according to the study.
A research study from the Nature and Science of Sleep found students who obtained nine or more hours of sleep had higher GPAs than those who got six or less hours of sleep.
Kathryn Kilgore, a senior nutrition major, said she is not surprised at all that so many college students experience sleep issues.
“We usually don’t know how to manage our time very wisely, so we end up putting things off until the last minute,” she said, “so then you have to pull all-nighters and stuff.”
The practice of “all-nighters,” when a student substitutes a night of sleep for a night of studying, is something many students end up having to do during their time at college, but it could be counterproductive.
The Nature and Science of Sleep study found subjects who were sleep deprived for 30 hours — like from pulling an all-nighter — showed no improvement in academic performance, even after two days of sleep recovery.
Kilgore, from Fort Worth, Texas, said she often pulls all-nighters but knows she probably should not.
“I sometimes feel jittery the next day and can’t focus,” she said.
Caroline McKenny, a senior political science major from Amarillo, Texas, said she also pulls all-nighters, but she never pulls one the night before a test.
“When I pull all-nighters, it’s not to study for a test; it’s to finish papers,” she said, “so the next day I don’t have to do anything like take an exam where my lack of sleep would affect me.”
Daytime naps may offer a potential remedy for students with trouble sleeping and may improve academic performance; high academic performers were more likely to take naps than low academic performers, according to Nature and Science of Sleep.
However, Viator disagrees.
“As difficult as it seems, I recommend avoiding or minimizing naps,” she said. “Napping in the afternoon exacerbates the problem by throwing a monkey wrench in the sleep cycle.”
Viator had a few important tips for students with insomnia or difficulty sleeping, and one is keeping your sleep cycle on track.
“I recommend trying to go to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time, no matter how well or poorly the person slept the night before,” Viator said.
Kilgore said she has made an effort to start up a routine sleep schedule before but thinks it is unrealistic for college students who are trying to keep up with school, work and a social life.
McKenny said she often has trouble falling asleep and watching TV helps her fall asleep.
“I turn on Netflix,” she said. “A little bit of sound helps, and I like to have something to look at.”
According to the counseling center’s sleep workshop, watching TV or using the computer before bedtime — or even just in your bedroom — is one of the most important habits to kick in order to get a good night’s sleep.
The workshop’s other tips include behavioral changes such as only using your bed for sleeping — rather than any texting, reading or working while in it — eliminating clocks, making your bedroom cool, and minimizing caffeine four to six hours before bedtime.
For a quick fix for drowsiness during the day, Viator said, caffeine is useful to help with energy and mood levels, but she warned to be careful with consumption.
“Coffee all day long may help the person get through the day,” she said, “but it has a half-life of four hours, so it could interfere with sleep if consumed in the afternoon.”
About Nicole Crites
