Sleep

Are You Getting Enough ZZZs?

Do college students get enough sleep? Why should we?
How many times has the guy sitting next to you in English had to give you a shove to wake you up for class? If this sounds like you, then you might be one out of three people in America that gets six or fewer hours of sleep per night. Even then, the quality of this sleep may be questionable.

Whether you're burning the midnight oil by studying for an exam, or just socializing with friends -- it is widely known that getting enough sleep is of major importance to your body, affecting everything from weight gain to concentration abilities. Skimping by on just a few hours of sleep can put your body into a compromising health situation. Your immune system will suffer, leading to more colds and infections, your ability to repair muscle and other body tissues is slowed, and your brain's ability to store complex memory and concentrate during class will suffer.

It is estimated that approximately 68 million Americans are sleep deprived, a number that could be made up of a significant portion of college students.

What Keeps Me From Sleeping?

College students cite many reasons for not being able to sleep.

Late night cramming for exams
Consuming too much caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants
Noisy roommates
Everyday worries or anxiety
Lighting conditions
An irregular work schedule
Too much late night partying - excessive use of alcohol

Whatever the reason for your sleep loss, it is important to recognize what the particular reason is for you and take steps to correct it and move towards a healthy sleep lifestyle. Correcting these situations may be as simple as placing dark curtains over windows or having a heart to heart conversation with your noisy roommates.

How Can I Improve My Sleep?

Good quality sleep is just as important as how long you sleep. There are several sleep stages that you enter throughout the night. Some stages include light sleep, like R.E.M. sleep. Your body and your brain engage in different activities during the different stages. This is why waking too early can leave you feeling just as tired as you did when you first fell asleep. You should try to schedule at least 7 to 8 hours per day that you can sleep. Some people will need more than this, some less. The best way to find out how much sleep you need is to sleep without an alarm clock for a week or so. Soon your body will adjust to its own schedule for sleep and will recover from lost sleep. When this happens, you will know how many hours you actually need to sleep per day. For some, that number might be 6 hours; for others, up to 10 hours per day is normal.

Tips for a Healthy Sleep Lifestyle

Make sure your bedroom is comfortable, from lighting conditions to room temperature (around 65 to 70 degrees).
Use a fan for white noise if you cannot control the noise around your room, or use earplugs.
Use your bed for sleep and sex only!
Get enough exercise - 30 minutes at least 4 times per week.
Do not exercise within 4 hours of bedtime. Exercise is a natural body stimulant.
Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime. Your body will work on digesting the food instead of letting you rest.
Avoid caffeinated beverages for several hours before your regular bedtime.
Avoid excessive use of alcohol. It may make you feel sleepy, but it actually disrupts the natural sleep cycle and will wake you up.

Are You Sleep Deprived?

Do you find it increasingly difficult to concentrate in class?
Do you feel tired during the daylight hours?
Is it difficult for you to fall asleep at night?
Do you need an alarm clock to wake up?
Do you feel the urge to nap during the day?
Do you drink caffeinated beverages to "get going" in the mornings?
Are you too tired to exercise most of the time?
Do you fall asleep easily when sitting for periods of 20 minutes or more watching television, reading or listening to lectures?
Do you feel irritable or sluggish during the day?
Have you noticed an increased number of cold or flu-like symptoms?

The more questions you answered "yes" to, the more likely it is that you are sleep deprived. Please contact your healthcare provider for assistance.