College students are some of the most sleep deprived people in the United States. But what does this mean? How important is sleeping and what are the consequences of not getting enough of it? It is not a doubt that many of today’s college students get less than recommended amount of sleep but it should be more of a concern. Sleep deprivation is a serious situation which many people take lightly. It is not uncommon for students to brag about how busy they are and because of which, how little sleep they get. However, this is not a healthy mentality. Many studies show that not getting enough sleep can directly lead to serious ill-effects such as compromised learning, and health risks. These consequences are particularly important for college students Since students are in college for the exact purpose of learning and preparing for careers, under-sleeping is a huge issue. It has been shown to impair a number of factors such as: attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, problem solving, and overall cognitive functioning (Perry). Neurons rest during sleep, and they misfire and can not function at the same level without rest (Sleep, Learning, and Memory). In an article, Dr. Jolanta Orzel-Gryglewska documents many studies on the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain, from rats solving mazes to human driving-simulator tests. Across the board, the majority of test subjects who were lacking sleep performed worse, struggling to concentrate and remember (Orzel-Gryglewska). Every day, there are too many students in large college lecture halls who are not getting enough sleep and consequentially, impeding their learning and memory. Unfortunately, compromised learning is not the only consequence of lacking Often it is a product of the more difficult school work, that is exaggerated by the sleep-deprived brain. There are links between under-sleeping and high stressed students (Kingkade). At a biological level, the body releases more cortisol, the human stress hormone, when it is constantly tired and the brain can not manage stress as efficiently when it needs sleep. In a clinical study on the effects of sleep, Michael Bonnet and Donna Arand reported that “a higher level of stress is observed; tiredness, drowsiness and irritability increases; work effectiveness decreases and motivation usually falls down” (Orzel-Gryglewska). The most dangerous part of sleep deprivation is that it is cyclic in nature. Losing sleep leads to stress, but stress can also be a large contributor to sleep deprivation, in fact it is one of the most common reasons that college students attribute to insomnia (Kingkade). It is too common that students who begin to feel the effects of sleep deprivation are caught in a sleepless cycle, which only exacerbates the problem. Many people believe that sleep deprivation is not as serious as it truly is. They believe that stress is the worst effect, however, most students are less concerned with the long-term health effects that has been linked with sleep deprivation
However, not everyone gets the 7-9 hours of sleep they need on a regular basis. In a study done by the National Institute of Health, one-third of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep and more than 70% of high school students are not getting enough sleep on a school night (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2012). Sleep deprivation is slowly becoming a global issue that the general population, especially students, are not very concerned about. This lack of concern is worrisome because sleep deprivation can have negative effects on a person’s lifestyle, especially on their physical health and their performance in
One of the many arising problems of America’s students is they are becoming sleep deprived. The busy daily schedules of children and teens are not allowing them to get enough sleep. “Less sleep is unhealthy especially with the new research that as teenagers move through teenage years, they need increasing amounts of sleep. Nine hours per night is the necessary amount to avoid behaviors associated with sleep deprivation” (Final Report Summary, 2001). Among other things, sleep deprivation is causing students to sleep during class instead of being awake and aware. When the students are sleeping in class, they are not retaining information being taught to them. Researchers have now proven that the majority of adolescents retain more information later in the day. Contrary to this information, America’s school systems are programmed to begin early in the day, which according to the sleep rhythms of most teenagers, they should still be sleeping.
Another reason that causes the negative relationship between sleep deprivation and academic performance is the impact of high-stress level that is caused by sleep deprivation. As mentioned earlier, sleep deprivation could decrease a student’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, it can also make the students feel more stressful. According to the survey conducted in Ball State campus, there are 15 students that often do their homework before they go to bed. 10 students play video games, computer games, and mobile games before they go to sleep. 8 students use their electronic devices to do social activities. 5 students watch movies and television series and 2 students read books before they go to bed. This information proves
When the mind’s need of rest is not met, it accumulates “sleep debt” that cannot be fixed by a single sleep period. “The brain keeps an accurate count of sleep debt for at least two weeks” (Myers, DeWall 107). Many college students experience sleep deprivation which results in fatigue during the day. Whether or not it’s because of roommates, or your own habits, sleep deprivation is a problem. Although sleep is often overlooked and not considered a significant event--since it should normally occur every day--it is a necessity for all humans as well as animals. “It is said that young animals can go longer without food than sleep” (Johnson 88). This statement shows just how important of a role sleep is in life. “Approximately 70% of college students report disturbances in sleep including poor sleep quality, insufficient sleep, and irregular sleep patterns” (DeMartini, Fucito 1164). Most of the time college students experience difficulties with sleep because of their varying schedules. On the weekdays, students will sleep between classes, and stay up late trying to get work done. On the weekends, they stay up late and wake later in the day. “According to the National Sleep Foundation, 59% of adults 18 to 29 years of age describe themselves as night-owls” (Gaultney 91). Our bodies are synchronized with the 24-hour cycle due to the circadian rhythm (Myers, DeWall 100). If students cannot fall asleep early because their “biological clock” is messed up due to stress or other reasons, they cannot get enough sleep by the time the morning comes. Research has shown that typically people who get up earlier perform better in school, have more initiative and are less likely to be depressed (Myers, DeWall 101). Other factors of sleep deprivation could fall into the social category. College students tend to like to enjoy life, and party. This is something a college student can
In order to function normally, “adequate sleep is a biological necessity” (Austin 34). College is a transition for many students, and without prioritizing many can become sleep deprived. There are various reasons that college students could become deprived of sleep. Reasons include loud roommates, sororities/fraternities, late night jobs, and procrastination. Additionally, a student could be struggling financially or academically, and this could be possible causes for keeping one up late at night. Little to no sleep could affect how young adults function leading to multiple effects. Depression can be a result of not getting enough rest, and the “longer this
Voluntary sleep deprivation is a common occurrence for many collge students, who often partially deprive themselves of sleep during the week and compensate by increasing their sleep time over the weekend. This pattern of sleep deprivation and rebound becomes more pronounced around examination periods, sometimes resulting in 24 to 48 hours of sleep deprivation. By depriving themselves of sleep, college students are not only increasing their feelings of sleepiness during the day, thus decreasing their ability to pay attention in class, but are also negatively affecting their ability to perform on exams.
Just how important is sleep when it comes to learning and remembering? In college, many students are overloaded with school work, whether is be due to their personal lives, activities outside of class, procrastination or poor time management skills, students often find themselves giving up sleep to spend time studying for their classes. Is this really such a good idea? During finals week, a period of great stress in college life, students will often times suffer from partial sleep or even complete sleep deprivation, while desperately cramming things into their heads that they hope to be able to remember the next day. A study performed on university business students in Hong Kong found that two thirds of 620 participating university students reported suffering sleep deprivation (Tsui, 2009). The hours of sleep reported by the participants were considerably lower during weekdays compared to on weekends (Tsui, 2009). Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality are not at all uncommon in university students, especially those attending highly competitive schools.
Sleep is vital in order for them to be healthier and do better academically. The world needs to take time to find ways to control sleep deprivation that is continuing affect others today. There is so many negative aspects of the scarcity of sleep that can have an impact on one’s life. However; there are still many different ways it can be avoided. Sleep deprivation is dangerous and has consequences that can be short term or long term. This is the reason for students and those around them need to see the importance in maintaining good sleeping practices. If we don’t change this problem students or even everyone could just end up suffering. We need to manage the way we sleep everyday and alternate into a more fitted sleeping atmosphere that will have a positive return in the end. As a whole, dealing with a highly situation like this can make a difference in so many lives for the better in this
Many college students are affected by sleep deprivation. Our youth have yet come to realize how much sleep plays a valuable role in one’s day. Some causes of sleep deprivation ranges from stress to poor time management. Scientifically speaking, “sleep deprivation exists when sleep is insufficient to support adequate alertness, performance, and health, either because of reduced total sleep time or fragmentation of sleep by brief arousals.” (Pressman) Most college students are unaware that lack of sleep cause many of their illnesses. College students that are sleep deprived usually suffer from a range of psychiatric symptoms. I surveyed 8 people at Alabama State University and out of those 8, 6 of the participants were sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation can be extremely harmful to college students and has loads of negative effects.
Many phases and function of sleep are still under intense research, however judging from a simple fact - all animals do sleep, it is obvious that its role is indubitable. Nonetheless, many people are still having the mind set of sleep is merely a time-wasting-activity. Even among professionals who perform crucial roles such as doctors, teachers, engineers are willing to compromise their sleep, with a simple excuse, busy. In short, they are experiencing either acute total sleep deprivation or more common, chronic partial sleep restriction[2]. Many effects of both types of sleep deprivation were investigated, in particular health, attention, decision making.
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false (1). Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of "quiet readiness" (2). Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.
Sleeping is something that is an essential part of human nature and is a must in order for one to be a functional human being. Sleep is an idea that is accompanied by many wives’ tales, including the ideas that one needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night and alcohol helps one fall asleep and sleep more soundly. One myth about sleep is that during sleeping, one is in a state of nothingness. In truth, however, it has been discovered that during sleep the brain is active, variations in heartbeat and breathing occur, and the eyes and ears are active throughout the time of sleep. These activities during a person’s sleep are important because they help that person be more aware, awake, and alert during consciousness. If all of these important activities occur during sleep, why is it that people are so willing to short themselves of this vital activity? Although much about sleep still remains a mystery, research and experiments continue to show how important sleep is to each and every person. Throughout this paper, I will discuss sleep and the effects that it has on performance and health, especially in college students. A college student’s sleeping pattern is a reliable indicator to their level of performance in the classroom and other school-affiliated activities, as a lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. Sleep is directly related the level of performance and health in an individual; the more rested a person is, the better that person will perform and feel (Dryer, 2006).
While points, claims, and statistics may be found within all of the sources used for the research, the sheer amount of referenced studies and works within the “Sleep-Wake” paper lends weight to it’s usefulness as a reliable source. One of the otherfactor of sleep and its affect within the college community. Three sources varying in criteria and usefulness were found that related to this subject and were studied. sources, “College Students try to Cheat Sleep Needs”, a college newspaper, offers basic facts and elementary assumptions such that could be found within any biology textbook or encyclopedia. These references are to such things as sleep cycles and sub stages and the general consequences of an out of balance sleep cycle. The study from the Biological Rhythm Research writers, however, hints at previous studies and findings that “several factors, such as social and academic demands, part-time jobs, [...] affect the sleep-wake cycle of college students.” but then only states the findings of a particular study, and does so in...
Many times people think they can accomplish more if they could eliminate so much sleeping time. However, they are only hurting their productivity if they lose sleep. Two articles deal with the issue of sleep deprivation. The College Student Journal published an article about the grade-point average of college students and sleep length, while U.S. News & World Report produced an article dealing with the lack of
Sleep deficiency impairs the neurocognitive functioning and prevents proper retention of information by the brain. Moreover, inadequate sleep at night diminishes attention span, alertness, creativity and concentration levels of the students. According to Curcio, Ferrara & De Gennaro (2006) students with more regular sleep-wake cycles are more likely to report a higher GPA (p. 326). Finally, I will explain how sleep-disordered breathing caused due to sleep deprivation, may also be associated with poor academic achievement and neurocognitive impairments such as critical thinking and