Many college students suffer from sleep deprivation

By Dr. Josh Palgi and Dr. Amanda Rodrigues | Published by December 14, 2019

Not getting the proper amount of sleep can result in sleep deprivation, which affects mood, has long-term health consequences, and negatively affects academic performance in students.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that college students are not getting nearly enough sleep which is vital to their academic success. Among the reasons for their changes in sleeping patterns, are increased part-time working hours, pulling all-nighters to finish a paper or cram for an exam, or watching television during bedtime hours. Research conducted on 10,000 college students across the country found that the average amount of sleep varied from state to state.

Some of the best sleep for college students was found in Colorado, with the average amount of sleep per night for college students at 7.3 hours.  The worst sleep for college students was found in Kentucky and Mississippi, coming in at an average of just 5.9 hours of sleep nightly.  In our home state of NJ, our college students averaged 6.3 hours of sleep, still below what is considered healthy amounts. Additionally, this study also reported that females tend to sleep an average of half an hour to a full hour less than males.  The reported sleep totals in all 50 states did not meet the 8 hours of nightly sleep that is recommended by health practitioners and researchers.

Lawrence Epstein, MD, medical director of sleep health centers, says that sleep deprivation affects not only whether a student can stay awake in class but how they perform. In addition, new research shows that students getting adequate amounts of sleep perform better on memory and motor tasks than those students deprived of sleep. A healthy amount of sleep is vital for brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt to new information. If we don’t sleep enough we are unable to process what we’ve learned during the day and we have more trouble remembering it in the future.  This was put to the test.

In one experiment, two groups of students were studied.  One group was given a full eight hours of sleep, while the other was sleep deprived.  The next day, both groups were given MRI scans while they tried to learn a list of new facts while pictures were taken of their brain activity.  The group with sleep deprivation had a 40% deficit in learning the material.  This is the difference between a student passing an exam with an A vs a student failing it all together.  Another area of importance found in this study was the group who had eight hours of sleep had tons of learning activity in the area of their brain called the hippocampus.  The group with sleep deprivation group had no activity at all in the same area. Consider this the next time you consider cramming for an exam.  If you stay up and don’t get enough sleep trying to remember all of this information, the science shows it will not work.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides this list to help students create positive sleep habits, foster better sleep, and support those who may be struggling with sleep issues:

1. Go to bed early enough to have the opportunity for 8 hours of sleep.
2. If you have trouble falling asleep get out of bed and do something else, such as read, until you feel sleepy again and then return back to bed.
3. Don’t study, watch TV, or talk on the phone while in bed. Only use your bed for sleep.
4. If you take a nap, keep it brief, less than an hour and before 3 pm.
5. It is best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, weekdays and weekends.
6. Sleep in a cool room, research has shown a room between 65-68 degrees promotes better quality sleep while also making it easier to fall asleep.
7. Dim the lights in the evening and at night so your body starts releasing melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
8. Take time to “wind down” before going to bed. Get away from the computer, turn the TV and cell phone off, and relax quietly for 15 to 30 minutes prior to getting in bed.

 

Getting enough sleep is just as important as other vital elements of good health, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and practicing good dental hygiene. In short, sleep is a basic comfort of a healthy lifestyle, but just like purchasing healthy foods, taking an after-dinner walk or flossing your teeth, getting adequate sleep requires time and discipline. Remember, sleep serves re-energizes the body cells, clear waste from the brain and supports learning and memory.  For students to be working at peak performance, sleep can’t be a maybe, but rather a must be!

 

Palgi and Rodrigues are professors in the Department of Health and Human Performance

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