In today’s society, many people go through many days yawning, fighting to stay awake and indulging in many cups of coffee. If you were to ask them what the cause of their restlessness was, the popular statement would be a lack of sleep. However, most would not dare to think that a lack of sleep could cause multiple issues in everyday life. This problem has been seen to peak during the good ole college days. It is hard to imagine that those days of all-night cramming sessions and those late nights partying causing students to be sleep deprived could lead to a variety of problems like stress, long term insomnia, and a weakened immune system.
The transition from life in high school can be problematic for the majority of students. Most of their days in high school were on a very structured schedule, but moving on to college where you are relying completely on your responsibility to prioritize can be extremely difficult for freshmen. Most college students, at one time or another, find it difficult to juggle their schoolwork, social life, extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities. They become overwhelmed with the load of work brought onto them and it becomes clear that “sleep is not a priority to many people” (Bosworth) students just believe that they can merely go through the week getting less and less sleep and just catch up on their z’s during the weekend. Another good reason why students do not get enough sleep is because they simply do not make time for it. Some studying, athletics, jobs, relationships may take up most of a student’s time and cause them to have stressful sleep (Johnson). Yet, the reasons for student to be sleep deprived widely differ. Approximately 25% of students report studying as the caus...
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...mply sleeping the right amount of time will turn one’s life onto a healthy path. So, students should consider whether the risk of cramming all night will be worth the reward.
Works Cited
Bosworth, Bridget. “Are Tarleton Freshmen Sleep Deprived, and Why? A Survey Analysis.” The Popken Writer. Vol. 5. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning: 81-85. Print.
Haynes, Kendra. "Into bed late, out of bed late." Journal ofAmerican College Health. April 24, 1997.
Holcomb, Susan Simmons. "Putting INSOMNIA To Rest. (Cover Story)." Nurse Practitioner 32.4 (2007): 28-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.
Forquer, LeAnne, et al. “Sleep Patterns of College Students at a Public University.” 56.5 (March/April 2008):563-565. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
Johnson, Kyle P. "The sleepy teenager." Harvard Mental Health Letter. Novembor 2001: 3. Online. Letter.
It is generally understood that getting enough sleep plays an important factor as people go through their day to day lives, nevertheless many people do not rank sleep as one of their top priorities. In many cases, people prefer to use the time spent on getting the proper amount of sleep on other activities such as finishing a report for work or doing some last minute studying for a midterm. However, reducing the amount of sleep one gets not only affects one’s academic performance, but their physical health as well.
It is true that sleep deprivation is a widespread issue, generally resulting from early start times. It is also a serious one; according to a study by Harvard Medical School, sleep deprivation can lead to issues such as obesity, heart disease, difficulty learning, and can genuinely shorten a person’s lifespan. As Robbins explains, teenagers have a different internal sleep clock than other age groups. It is most healthy for students in high school to go to bed around 11 and wake up around 9. Since school often begins as early as 7, students are told they simply need to go to bed early, around 8 or 9 PM. This contention does not take into account the fact that humans are biologically not wired this way, and it's virtually impossible for most teens to fall asleep this early. It also doesn't take into account that with clubs, sports, church, volunteering, other extracurriculars and hours of homework, students often struggle to start their homework before their suggested “bedtime”. It is contended that students can control their own schedules so that they can get more sleep. However, pressure from parents and peers to get into a “good” college can cloud students’ perceptions of what is right for them, making them choose to overwork themselves in order to build impressive resumes. I myself can identify with this phenomenon. During the weekdays alone, I volunteer two nights a
For some high school students, sleep is not considered a necessity – but rather, a luxury. Sports, extra-curricular activities, and Fine Arts programs play an important role in students’ lives and require a significant amount of commitment and dedication. Social life aside, some students have taken the additional endeavors of acquiring jobs, participating in volunteer activities, and taking extra Advanced Placement classes. With too many tasks to fulfill in a twenty-four hour day, high school students are forced to substitute for the most essential condition of all: sleep.
"Sleep disorders appear to be a global epidemic, affecting up to 45% of the world's population" (Noor, et al n.p.). That’s leaving a 55% chunk of the world’s population not affected. More than 70 million people in our nation experience sleep disorders, most of whom are unaware of the impact on their daily life (Wells,Vaughn 234). Due to a large portion of people being unaware of sleep disorders’ impaction, the number continuously increases. Major sleep disorders are known to be Rapid Eye Movement(REM), Insomnia, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA). Over 80 medically recognized sleep disorders exist with insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, jet lag, shift work, sleepwalking and restless legs syndrome being some of the most common (Wells, Vaughn 234). "Poor sleep in the general population has been shown to have a significant impact on daily function, including considerable daytime cognition dysfunction, decreased ability to accomplish daily tasks, diminished sense of success and achievement, depressed mood, and reduced enjoyment of interpersonal relationships" (Andrews, Strong n.p. 500). Sleep disorders affect a large portion of society, leading people to have a daily lifestyle of drowsiness, stress and poor productivity; treatment has increased as more people become aware of sleep disorders.
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
Are you curious if those all night cram study hours are working? I bet your wondering if they are actually helping or hurting your midterm grade? I’m sure all of us have spent an all nighter studying for that Chemistry or Economics exam that you just have to do well on because its 50 percent of your grade. Not only are you studying so hard for that A+, but your mental well-being. We all feel pressured to do well in college for many reasons. For that high paying job were promised if we graduate from a top-notch school or what about the assumption that you will have a better future. And for those of you whose parents are paying thousands of dollars for tuition, wouldn’t want to let mom or dad down. The answer is here. June J. Pilcher conducted a study of whether sleep deprivation affects your ability of acing that test if you just would have went to bed earlier.
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.
My physical health is the dimension I’ve chosen that requires a beneficial change. Within this dimension, changing my sleeping habits is my main goal. According to Hershner and Chervin (2014), irregular sleep patterns and sleepiness have a negative impact on a student’s performance, memory, and on their ability to learn
This is where students are able to excel in a particular field. The way that society is setup, just like high school, students are forced to have a strict schedule, which may consist of school, work, sports, clubs, and volunteer opportunities. In college many students lack sleep because of these hectic schedules as they did in high school. In college, sleep deprivation is more of an issue than in high school. Alike in high school, administrators are at the root of this problem. Because administrators require so many requirements in college, sleep deprivation is a result of their decisions. An article done in 2014 talking about sleep disorders and college students says that, “nearly one in four students is at risk for a sleep disorder” (Hershner). The article gets specific on how having a sleep disorder effects the productivity of grades, “Students who obtained more sleep (long sleepers, greater than 9 hours) had higher GPAs than short sleepers (less than 6 hours): GPAs were 3.24 vs 2.74 on average” (Gaultney). This statistic should get the attention school administrators. College administrator’s goal for students is to provide opportunities for students to excel and perform at a high level. As seen in this study, students tend to perform higher when they get the appropriate amounts of rest. If administrators realized the negative effects their
Research shows that sleep is a necessity in order for someone to be able to perform at their maximum potential. College students are no exception to the rule and are often at a greater risk to suffer from conditions that accompany sleep deprivation. Regardless of the time period, a college student must be well rested in order to perform at his or her best in terms of physical performance, memorization capabilities, and test-taking abilities. Also, without adequate sleep, the person will be more susceptible to illnesses, both mental and physical. In conclusion, I believe that sleep deprivation among college students is extremely common and has a direct effect on how well that student will perform or feel.
Sleep loss and shifting sleep patterns are known to be widespread across college campuses throughout the United States and the world at large. Yet, while many studies exist relating sleep to performance, a much smaller amount of studies focus on the Through analysis of these sources as they would prove useful when researching and writing upon the idea of sleep and its correlation to academic performance it was found that a paper titled “Sleep-Wake Patterns and Academic Performance in University Students”, which was presented to the European Conference on Educational Research, is overall the most useful source represented to research the topic.
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 has always been a popular subject among humans. There have been many studies that examine sleep and its correlation with a wide variety of variables, such as depression, energy levels, and grades. Students, as a group, are widely studied. As the world’s future leaders and thinkers, there is great importance placed on their achievements. In this study the effect of student sleep habits on perceived academic performance is investigated. Many things may affect students’ academic success among these variables are sleep habits.