Sleep deprivation serious problem for college students
By: Brittney French
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News
Freshman audio production major John Schwartz gets a maximum of six hours of sleep each night.
He attends class during the day, works part-time and does his homework at night.
Like 63 percent of college students in the United States, Schwartz does not get enough sleep, according to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation.
"I typically stay up late doing other things that I wasn't able to do during the day because of my job or homework," Schwartz said. "It's the way my schedule works out."
Whether the stress of having a jam-packed schedule contributes to the amount of sleep college students receive each night, sleep deprivation is becoming far too common.
"College students are notorious for staying up late," said Mark Muehlbach, clinical director of the Clinics at Clayton Sleep Institute and adjunct professor in the behavioral and social sciences department. "It's very hard for most college students to maintain a constant schedule."
Muehlbach said, unlike most adults, college students don't have a daily routine that allows them to wake up and go to sleep around the same time each night.
He also said students cut out sleep whenever they plan their day around their schedule because it's the easiest option to remove and that students tend to do this more frequently around exam times.
"It's important for students to get at least four or five hours of sleep if they are staying up late to cram for a test," Muehlbach said. "Sleep is important for consolidating memory. So if students are staying up all night studying for exams and not getting any sleep, they will be less likely to remember the information they studied during the test."
Academic workload can be a main factor in sleep deprivation among college students. Excessive partying, however, can also be a reason for sleep deprivation, as alcohol can disturb sleeping patterns, according to an article on the Medical News Today Web site.
Fifteen percent of students in the United States can admit they've stayed up too late partying and have fallen asleep in class as a result.
He attends class during the day, works part-time and does his homework at night.
Like 63 percent of college students in the United States, Schwartz does not get enough sleep, according to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation.
"I typically stay up late doing other things that I wasn't able to do during the day because of my job or homework," Schwartz said. "It's the way my schedule works out."
Whether the stress of having a jam-packed schedule contributes to the amount of sleep college students receive each night, sleep deprivation is becoming far too common.
"College students are notorious for staying up late," said Mark Muehlbach, clinical director of the Clinics at Clayton Sleep Institute and adjunct professor in the behavioral and social sciences department. "It's very hard for most college students to maintain a constant schedule."
Muehlbach said, unlike most adults, college students don't have a daily routine that allows them to wake up and go to sleep around the same time each night.
He also said students cut out sleep whenever they plan their day around their schedule because it's the easiest option to remove and that students tend to do this more frequently around exam times.
"It's important for students to get at least four or five hours of sleep if they are staying up late to cram for a test," Muehlbach said. "Sleep is important for consolidating memory. So if students are staying up all night studying for exams and not getting any sleep, they will be less likely to remember the information they studied during the test."
Academic workload can be a main factor in sleep deprivation among college students. Excessive partying, however, can also be a reason for sleep deprivation, as alcohol can disturb sleeping patterns, according to an article on the Medical News Today Web site.
Fifteen percent of students in the United States can admit they've stayed up too late partying and have fallen asleep in class as a result.
Be the first to comment on this story