College Students:  Are you getting Enough Sleep?

As we all know, lack of sleep causes risky health problems and impacts our mood, feelings, and safety. However, not a lot of students notice that this is a serious issue. Did you know that college students only get an average of six hours of sleep every night? Sleep problem brings nightmares to students, causing motor stability and emotional problem resulting in a low GPA with unsuccessful graduation. 

Most college students say that they get less than eight hours of sleep per day, lacking the ability to focus on their school assignments. Often they say the term, "tired, drowning, sleepy" almost every day. Surprisingly, 80% of students say it affects their academic performance. What's very shocking is stress is their No.1 whereas No.2 is a sleep problem. 

 

CAUSES and EFFECT of Lacking Sleep

  • Technology: Of course, students cannot live or perform their academic performance without technology. However, looking at their cell phones constantly increases daytime sleepiness, making it more difficult for them to fall and stay asleep, leading the cause of waking up often during nighttime. Interestingly, increasing the usage of computers and playing video games will more likely to experience drowsy driving, decrease in restful sleep. 
  • All-nighter behavior: Some students believe that studying all-nighter will result in better test scores, but it's not! When studying all night, your mind and physical body won't recharge at all, which leads to the lack of ability to recall information and facts you studied and not being able to stay focused during your exam. So, make sure to plan ahead of time and don't procrastinate! 
  • Energy drinks & caffeine: It says that caffeine lasts more than seven hours, leading to sleeplessness. There is a lot of caffeine included in other beverages such as energy drinks, soda, and teas. Please drink only a moderate amount of caffeine early in the day for you to have restful sleep at night. 
  • Unbalanced Sleep Hygiene: Inadequate sleeping schedule means not having a consistent sleep schedule, the best sleep environment. other stimulants and caffeine, alcohol consumption, any activities that impact sleep. College students don't really have positive sleep hygiene due to busy school schedules and an overload of assignments and essays.

Sleep tight